China has responded to the escalating conflict in Iran with familiar language: calls for restraint, condemnation of military escalation and appeals for dialogue. But beneath the carefully calibrated diplomacy lies a harder strategic reality. What happens in Iran carries significant implications for Beijing’s energy security, regional positioning and global rivalry with the United States.
For China, Iran is not an ideological ally in the way Russia appears to be. The relationship is rooted in…
Iran’s uncertain future poses a strategic test for China
