Mark: Is a "strategic partnership," an "alliance?" Iran and China are reportedly "partners,"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran%E2%80%93China_25-year_Cooperation_Program It ain't NATO, but Iran is also in the Belt-and-Road Initiative .................... In December 2022, during Xi’s lavish state visit to Saudi Arabia, the two countries signed a “comprehensive strategic partnership agreement <https://www.reuters.com/world/saudi-lays-lavish-welcome-chinas-xi-heralds-new-era-relations-2022-12-08/>” and Chinese and Saudi firms signed 34 investment deals; Xi declared the visit a “defining event in the history of Chinese-Arab relations <https://www.trtworld.com/middle-east/xi-jinping-says-china-supports-palestine-with-1967-borders-63395>.” The Saudis organized three separate regional summits for Xi – aside from the bilateral summit, a second summit with 21 Arab leaders and a third with seven rulers of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. China declared (and has continually declared) its support for the UAE position <https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/12/11/iran-summons-china-envoy-over-disputed-islands-with> on the three Gulf islands which the Shah occupied in 1971, leading to Iranian anger. And of course in March 2023, Beijing hosted Saudi and Iranian leaders, bringing about their normalisation of relations, which have if anything strengthened since – as someone noted, one US and Israeli goal may well be to break that entente (and arguably, Iran’s retaliatory actions may have had that effect and played into the aggressor’s hands – though maybe the impact will be the opposite too). And 150 countries have joined BRI, including every country in the Mideast (Saudis, UAE, all GCC. Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Turkey etc), not only Iran, and while Israel has not signed due to US veto, it strongly cooperates with Beijing on the BRI. China believes very much in non-discriminatory capitalism for all. On Thu, Mar 5, 2026 at 12:52 PM Charles via groups.io <charles1848= [email protected]> wrote: > MarkL > Was Germany finalizing a deal to buy missiles from China? Iran reportedly > was, > https://www.reuters.com/world/china/iran-nears-deal-buy-supersonic-anti-ship-missiles-china-2026-02-24/ > > Nope: > Global Times: Foreign media recently reported that Iran is close to a deal > with China to purchase the CM-302 supersonic anti-ship missile. If > delivered, the missiles would be among the most advanced military hardware > to be transferred to Iran by China in recent years. Can you confirm this? > Mao Ning [Foreign Ministry spokespoerson]: The report is not true. As a > responsible major country, China always abides by its international > obligations. China opposes ill-intentioned association and the spread of > disinformation, and hopes relevant sides will choose the course of action > conducive to deescalating the tense situation. > https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/xw/fyrbt/lxjzh/202603/t20260302_11867202.html > > The point about Germany and Iran vis-a-vis China was economic: China buys > Iran's oil and sells Iran a ton of stuff. China let German auto > corporations make a mint in China, and China sells Germany a ton of stuff. > > The overall point is simply that, for all the BRICS and BRI and such, > China has shown that it mainly pursues its own commercial interests. In > fact, it subtly urged a day or two ago that Iran not attack the Gulf states. > > > -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Groups.io Links: You receive all messages sent to this group. View/Reply Online (#40954): https://groups.io/g/marxmail/message/40954 Mute This Topic: https://groups.io/mt/118114832/21656 -=-=- POSTING RULES & NOTES #1 YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. #2 This mail-list, like most, is publicly & permanently archived. #3 Subscribe and post under an alias if #2 is a concern. #4 Do not exceed five posts a day. -=-=- Group Owner: [email protected] Unsubscribe: https://groups.io/g/marxmail/leave/13617172/21656/1316126222/xyzzy [[email protected]] -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
