China and Iran pledge cooperation ahead of Brics summit, as Tehran seeks to join bloc

The two countries’ foreign ministers, Wang Yi and Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, speak two days before the summit begins in Johannesburg
Beijing and Tehran signed a US$400 billion strategic cooperation agreement two years ago, and China also helped broke a deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia

Diplomacy

Cyril Ip

Published: 4:44pm, 21 Aug 2023

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The Chinese and Iranian foreign ministers have spoken ahead of Tuesday’s Brics summit in Johannesburg, where Tehran is seeking to become the sixth member of the bloc.

During Sunday’s phone conversation, Iran’s Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi that Tehran hoped to strengthen cooperation with Beijing in regional and international affairs

“Iran attaches great importance to the development of Iran and China’s comprehensive strategic partnership, and looks forward to maintaining high-level exchanges with China, deepening cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative,” Amir-Abdollahian said, according to the Chinese foreign ministry.

In 2021, Tehran and Beijing signed a US$400 billion strategic cooperation agreement, paving the way for Iran’s participation in the Belt and Road Initiative, a global infrastructure project stretching from Asia to Europe.

The Chinese statement said Beijing would support Iran over issues concerning the two sides’ core interests, adding: “China is willing to … jointly oppose external interference; resist unilateral bullying; defend the two countries’ sovereignty, security and development interests; and safeguard the common interests of developing countries and international fairness and justice.”

A growing number of countries have expressed an interest in joining the Brics group of emerging economies, whose current members are Brazil, India, Russia, China and South Africa. Apart from Iran, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Indonesia and 53 African countries have also been invited to the three-day summit that starts in Johannesburg on Tuesday.

‘De-dollarisation’ gains traction among emerging economies ahead of Brics meet

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi also spoke with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin last week about his country’s potential membership, but building such ties are not intended as a challenge to the West, according to Moscow-based international relations analyst Andrew Korybko.

“The group only wants to expand the use of national currencies and gradually reform the global financial architecture so that it’s fairer for non-Western countries. Iran’s possible membership wouldn’t change these calculations,” said Korybko, citing comments from South Africa that it was not looking to de-dollarise.

He said “there don’t seem to be any divisions” within the bloc about Iran joining and its membership could help “diversify the group’s conversations on relevant issues by giving it a West Asian dimension”.

Last month Iran became the ninth full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, joining China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

Zoon Ahmed Khan, a research fellow at the Centre for China and Globalisation, a non-governmental think tank in Beijing, said it was “highly likely” Iran would join Brics given its “systematically increasing” trade volumes with members.

“Iran would be an addition of another country that has stood against pressure, been dealt with unjustly – over the past one and a half decades in particular – and could play a conducive role in the organisation as well as in the world’s transition from being unipolar to multipolar,” said Khan.

03:11

China, Iran pledge to deepen cooperation as both grapple with strained US ties

Wang also discussed the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia that restored diplomatic relations after a nine-year gap, saying it had generated a “tide of reconciliation”.

“China appreciates Iran’s correct decision, and will continue to support countries in the Middle East in exploring a development path that suits their own national conditions,” Wang said, highlighting the need for “unity and self-improvement” among neighbours.

According to the Chinese statement, the two sides also exchanged views on the Iran nuclear pact – an agreement that gave Iran billions of dollars in sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear programme. Donald Trump pulled the United States out of the deal in 2018 and it has yet to be restarted.

“Only by restoring the complete and effective implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action [the agreement’s full title] can the Iranian nuclear issue be fundamentally resolved,” Wang Yi said.

“China is willing to strengthen coordination with all parties, including Iran, to promote the development of the Iranian nuclear issue in a direction conducive to maintaining regional peace and stability.”

Brics summit: African countries wait in the wings for membership expansion

Khan said there existed a “deep understanding” among the bloc members that Iran had been treated unfairly with regards to its nuclear programme, particularly by the United States and Israel.

“The barriers that Iran has faced because of a general lack of consensus over its nuclear programme has actually led to an understanding in the Global South that Iran needs to be economically supported in order to create a scenario in which the country is less likely to go against any international commitments that are made,” Khan said.

Khan also argued that Brics and the SCO were not created in opposition to the interests of Western blocs like the Group of Seven, but were pushing for fundamental equality.

“There is a view among developing countries that their perspectives and development priorities have been either dismissed or underrepresented in international institutions and on platforms predominantly led by the West,” Khan said.