Iranian President Hassan Rowhnai and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping meet at a welcome ceremony at the presidential palace in Tehran in January 2016. Iran is one of the biggest suppliers of crude oil to energy-hungry China, and a war between Iran and the US would threaten China’s supply from the Middle East as a whole. Photo: EPA Iranian President Hassan Rowhnai and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping meet at a welcome ceremony at the presidential palace in Tehran in January 2016. Iran is one of the biggest suppliers of crude oil to energy-hungry China, and a war between Iran and the US would threaten China’s supply from the Middle East as a whole. Photo: EPA
Iranian President Hassan Rowhnai and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping meet at a welcome ceremony at the presidential palace in Tehran in January 2016. Iran is one of the biggest suppliers of crude oil to energy-hungry China, and a war between Iran and the US would threaten China’s supply from the Middle East as a whole. Photo: EPA
Emanuele Scimia
Opinion

Opinion

Emanuele Scimia

To prevent war with Iran, China could endorse a US-led Gulf military escort scheme

  • The odds of China joining a multilateral escort plan led by the US are close to zero, but Beijing recognises its use
  • In particular, China sees it preventing small skirmishes that could escalate, and so may provide tacit endorsement

Emanuele Scimia
Emanuele Scimia

Updated: 5:17am, 16 Jul, 2019

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Iranian President Hassan Rowhnai and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping meet at a welcome ceremony at the presidential palace in Tehran in January 2016. Iran is one of the biggest suppliers of crude oil to energy-hungry China, and a war between Iran and the US would threaten China’s supply from the Middle East as a whole. Photo: EPA Iranian President Hassan Rowhnai and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping meet at a welcome ceremony at the presidential palace in Tehran in January 2016. Iran is one of the biggest suppliers of crude oil to energy-hungry China, and a war between Iran and the US would threaten China’s supply from the Middle East as a whole. Photo: EPA
Iranian President Hassan Rowhnai and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping meet at a welcome ceremony at the presidential palace in Tehran in January 2016. Iran is one of the biggest suppliers of crude oil to energy-hungry China, and a war between Iran and the US would threaten China’s supply from the Middle East as a whole. Photo: EPA
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Emanuele Scimia

Emanuele Scimia

Emanuele Scimia is an independent journalist and foreign affairs analyst.