AL-HURRA DIGITAL
China Chooses Sides In The Middle East
by Ilan Berman
March 29, 2021

China’s geopolitical ambitions in the Middle East took a giant leap forward over the weekend, when Chinese and Iranian officials convened in Tehran to formally sign a massive new cooperation agreement. The summit, which took place during a state visit to the Islamic Republic by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, codifies a trend that has been in the works for some time: a major strategic alignment between Beijing and Tehran. The broad contours of the arrangement have been known for months. Last summer, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif revealed publicly that the country’s parliament (or majles) was in the final stages of drafting a plan for long-term cooperation with the People’s Republic of China (PRC). READ MORE

JNS Jonathan Tobin: Iran plays the China card while Biden fumbles An agreement with Beijing may alter the global strategic equation and facilitate Tehran’s nuclear quest. A new administration that is signaling its openness to appeasement cannot meekly accept it.