Interpretation | China and Iran signed a comprehensive cooperation plan: no quantitative indicators, "partnership and non-alignment"
On March 27, during State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit to Iran, he and Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif signed the "Comprehensive Cooperation Plan between the People's Republic of China and the Islamic Republic of Iran" (hereinafter referred to as the "Comprehensive Cooperation Plan").
This plan has appeared in foreign media reports since last year, and is now officially signed, which has also triggered heated discussions in international public opinion.
"As early as 2016, China and Iran established a comprehensive strategic partnership. After five years of development, according to changes in the international situation, China and Iran believe that it is necessary to enrich the connotation of the comprehensive strategic partnership. Promoting the upgrading of partnerships at a level is objectively conducive to the stability of the international order.” Sun Degang, a researcher at the Middle East Research Center of the Institute of International Studies, Fudan University, told The Paper (www.thepaper.cn).
It is worth noting that this cooperation plan is not a "contract" that contains details such as investment scale as previously claimed by some media, but a roadmap that provides a framework for future cooperation between China and Iran.
Does not include quantified specific contracts or indicators
The signing of the China-Iran comprehensive cooperation plan has long been traced.
In January 2016, during President Xi Jinping’s visit to Iran, China and Iran pointed out in the "Joint Statement of the People’s Republic of China and the Islamic Republic of Iran on the Establishment of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership", “Considering the willingness of both sides to actively develop bilateral relations , Economic complementarity and cooperation between the two parties in the fields of energy, infrastructure, industry, technology, etc. The two parties agree to conduct necessary communication and consultations on reaching a 25-year comprehensive cooperation agreement."
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Zhao Lijian stated on March 29 that in January 2016, China and Iran issued a joint statement on the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership. The two sides agreed to reach a comprehensive cooperation plan. After communication and negotiation, the two sides recently agreed on a comprehensive cooperation plan. The content is agreed.
On March 27, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi signed the China-Iran Comprehensive Cooperation Plan with Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif during his official visit to Iran at invitation.
As early as June last year, the Iranian government announced the adoption of the draft China-Iran comprehensive cooperation plan.
In October of the same year, Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif stated during his visit to China that he and Wang Yi "strengthened consensus on the promotion of the China-Iran comprehensive cooperation plan and other issues."
The outside world also has suspicions about this. Some Western media even disclosed the so-called "contract" text concerning the investment scale of the China-Iran Comprehensive Cooperation Plan.
But up to now, neither China nor Iran has released any detailed texts about the comprehensive cooperation plan.
China International Television Station (CGTN) reported on March 27 that this comprehensive cooperation plan involves political, strategic and economic cooperation.
On the 29th, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian emphasized in response to questions from The Paper that the plan focuses on tapping the potential for cooperation between the two countries in economic, humanities and other fields, planning long-term cooperation prospects and paths, and does not include quantitative specific contracts or indicators.
According to Iran’s Tasnim News Agency, Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Hadibzad stated before China and Iran signed the plan on March 27 that the document is a comprehensive road map and the economic aspect is the “main axis” of the document. This includes cooperation in various fields, especially Iran’s participation in the “Belt and Road” initiative.
This also means that this document actually describes the blueprint for cooperation between China and Iran. As Zhao Lijian said, it "will provide a macro framework for future cooperation between China and Iran."
“Iran’s strategic cooperation with China is actually a long-term road map to ensure investment.” Zunur, Chairman of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of the Iranian Parliament, said in an interview with Iran’s Mehr News Agency on the 29th that according to the Iranian Constitution, this The document must also be reviewed and approved by the parliament. At that time, the National and Security Foreign Policy Committee of the parliament will invite Foreign Minister Zarif to attend and make relevant explanations.
Why has it become the focus of attention of the international community?
The signing of the comprehensive cooperation plan between China and Iran immediately became the focus of international media attention as soon as it was announced.
In an interview with The Paper, Professor Liu Zhongmin of the Middle East Institute of Shanghai International Studies University believed that the signing of the China-Iran Comprehensive Cooperation Plan has attracted great attention at home and abroad because it occurred under the current special international situation.
From March 18th to 19th, the China-US high-level strategic dialogue was held in Anchorage, the United States.
Wang Yi, who participated in the strategic dialogue, set off for a visit to the Middle East shortly thereafter and signed a comprehensive cooperation plan with Iran in particular.
"After the new U.S. government came to power, on the one hand, both the U.S. and Iran expressed their hope to restart the Iran nuclear agreement, but in fact, the current contradictory "dead button" in U.S.-Iran relations has not yet been loosened." Liu Zhongmin pointed out that in this case, China and the U.S. The tripartite interaction between Iran and Iran has naturally become the focus of attention of the international community.
Many Western media regard the signing of the comprehensive cooperation plan between China and Iran as an act of "China's continuous expansion of influence in the Middle East."
"The China-Iran Comprehensive Cooperation Plan is the result of the joint efforts of the two sides after the establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership in 2016. It is essentially the establishment of a macro framework for the cooperation and exchanges between the two countries and the two major civilizations, giving it a geopolitical hat, or excessive The interpretation of the strategy is narrow." Yao Jinxiang, an assistant researcher at the China Institute of International Studies and a visiting researcher at the Center for Strategy and Security Research of Tsinghua University, told The Paper.
Zhao Lijian stressed at a press conference on March 29 that the signing of the China-Iran comprehensive cooperation plan "is not directed at any third party."
On the same day, my country’s ambassador to Iran, Chang Hua, also published a signed article by the Iranian National News Agency, emphasizing that “China-Iran cooperation is based on mutual respect, mutual benefit and win-win results, and does not engage in a zero-sum game, nor is it aimed at third parties.”
"China's goal is to support the Middle East countries to find their own development path, so as to break the vicious circle of'the more counter-terrorism' and the'development depression'; the second is to promote dialogue and gradually explore the establishment of a regional trust mechanism and a security framework." Yao Jinxiang Said that the signing of the China-Iran comprehensive cooperation plan has a positive effect on tapping the potential of economic cooperation between the two countries, promoting the docking of development strategies, and improving the livelihood of Iran under the dual pressure of the epidemic and sanctions. It will also help China and Iran to cooperate closely and promote The Iran nuclear agreement is back on track as soon as possible to maintain regional stability.
Expert: Do not rule out signing similar documents with other countries in the Middle East in the future
It should also be pointed out that Wang Yi's visit is not a visit to Iran alone.
Before signing a comprehensive cooperation plan with Iran, Wang Yi had concluded his trip to Saudi Arabia and Turkey, and planned to visit the UAE, Bahrain and Oman after leaving Iran.
“The China-Iran comprehensive cooperation plan is a strategic choice made from a global perspective, especially in response to the current situation of the United States and the West undermining the international order.” Sun Degang believes that “the China-Iran comprehensive cooperation plan has enriched China’s partners in the Middle East. The connotation of diplomacy does not break through China's partnership principle of "partnership and non-alignment"."
On the 24th, Wang Yi put forward a five-point initiative to achieve security and stability in the Middle East in an interview in the Saudi capital Riyadh: one is to advocate mutual respect; the other is to uphold fairness and justice; the third is to achieve nuclear non-proliferation; the fourth is to build collective security together; and the fifth is to promote mutual respect. Speed up development cooperation.
"Foreign Minister Wang Yi's five-point proposal shows that China attaches great importance to the development of friendly and cooperative relations with Iran, Arab countries, Turkey, Israel and other Middle Eastern countries." Sun Degang said, "In the future, according to needs, China and Arab countries and Turkey will not be ruled out. Even Israel’s partnership has been upgraded and a medium- and long-term cooperation agreement has been signed."
In January 2016, President Xi Jinping was invited to pay state visits to Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Iran.
It is worth noting that it coincided with the severance of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
It was during that visit that Xi Jinping delivered an important speech expounding China’s position in the Middle East at the headquarters of the League of Arab States, stating that “we are not looking for an agent in the Middle East, but persuading peace and promoting talks; we do not engage in spheres of influence, but promote Everyone joins the "Belt and Road" circle of friends; we do not seek to fill the "vacuum", but weave a network of mutually beneficial and win-win partners."
Liu Zhongmin pointed out, “I think Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to the Middle East will also explain to countries such as Saudi Arabia and Turkey that China does not seek spheres of influence and does not look for agents. Although it has signed a comprehensive cooperation plan with Iran, these principles are affirmed. Still have to follow."
"In the five-point initiative to achieve security and stability in the Middle East, Foreign Minister Wang Yi emphasized that nuclear non-proliferation should be achieved, and the road map and timetable for the (US-Iraq) resumption of the Iranian nuclear agreement should be discussed. Dialogue platform, through collective negotiation to manage and control the crisis." Yao Jinxiang also believes that this once again shows that only dialogue can be a way out. All parties should work hard to explore specific ways to achieve regional peace and development, and China is willing to play a role in it.
The Paper, News Reporter Yu Xiaoxuan