Iran’s foreign ministry has summoned the Chinese communist regime’s ambassador in Tehran to express its anger and condemn Beijing for siding with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) over disputed Gulf islands.
Some experts believe that the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) expansion of influence in the Middle East has met a new setback.
After the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum in Beijing on May 30, the CCP said in a joint statement released on June 2 that it supports the UAE’s efforts to “peacefully resolve” the sovereignty dispute over the three Gulf islands of Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, and Abu Musa.
The UAE and Iran both claim sovereignty over the islands, which have been controlled by Tehran since 1971. Although small in size, the three islands are located at a key point in the Strait of Hormuz for the transportation of oil by sea.
“Iran’s objection to the Chinese support of baseless claims in a shared UAE-China statement has been expressed to the Chinese ambassador in Tehran,” Iran’s state media said on June 2.
“Iran’s foreign ministry emphasizes that the three Islands are an eternal part of the country’s soil and we expect China to mend its position on the issue,” it added.
At a Chinese Foreign Ministry news conference on June 3, spokesperson Mao Ning stated that China’s position on the three islands is consistent and called on the parties concerned to “resolve differences in a peaceful way through dialogue and consultation.” She also said that the joint statement between China and the UAE “is consistent with China’s position on this issue.”
Ms. Mao added, “China-Iran relations are solid,” and China values its “comprehensive strategic partnership with Iran.”
It isn’t the first time that the CCP’s position has irritated Iran.
In December 2022, the CCP and the Gulf Cooperation Council issued a joint statement saying that China supports bilateral negotiations to “peacefully resolve” the issue of the three islands.
The statement angered Tehran as it viewed it as Beijing’s indirect recognition of the UAE’s sovereignty claim over the disputed islands. At that time, the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs also summoned the Chinese ambassador to protest.
Cheng Cheng-Ping, a professor at Taiwan’s National Yunlin University of Science and Technology, told The Epoch Times on June 4 that these three small islands are located at a crucial point in the Strait of Hormuz, situated between Iran and the UAE.
“So, their strategic position is very important to both sides. After the China-Arab world forum, the CCP supported the UAE. This is a very important matter for Iran, but it will not lead to a big diplomatic dispute,” he predicted.
“Iran’s relationship with Israel is very tense now, and its relationship with the United States is also very tense. Under the severe sanctions of the United States, China can provide quite a lot of resources to it. China has been Iran’s largest trading partner for a decade. Meanwhile, China also needs Iran to strengthen its international alliance,” Mr. Cheng said.
CCP’s Attempt to Expand Influence in the Middle East
CCP leader Xi Jinping attended and delivered a speech at the China-Arab forum on May 30, and several Middle Eastern leaders also have visited China.“[The] CCP is trying to prove that it has made progress in diplomacy with Arab countries to cover up its international isolation and to show it has a greater voice in the Middle East. It didn’t expect to anger Iran again,” Yang Wei, a China affairs observer and a columnist for The Epoch Times, wrote on June 4.
Regarding the CCP’s influence in the Middle East, Mr. Cheng said: “China wants to play a relatively moderate and courteous role which is different from that of the United States or Russia. Through the infrastructure construction of its Belt and Road Initiative, as well as its foreign investment, China had gradually had a greater influence on the Middle East.
“However, once it wanted to become the most influential power in the Middle East, it had to compete with the United States and Russia. But in fact, China’s [economic] situation after the COVID-19 pandemic has not been good.”
Mr. Yang also wrote: “[The] CCP and Iran are using each other, and the Middle Eastern countries are fully aware of this. The CCP has no intention of solving the substantive problems in the Middle East, nor is it able to do so. On the contrary, it has been trying to disrupt the situation and provoke conflicts.”
