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China is hosting Iran and Russian diplomats to discuss Tehran’s nuclear program on Friday, as Beijing aims to keep itself a power broker on the issue of international security as an international security concern.
China’s Executive Deputy Foreign Minister Ma Zuko with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ribkov and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazim Gharyadi sat in the Chinese capital for a meeting on the Iranian nuclear issue.
The talks came when countries face pressure to find a diplomatic solution – or to mobilize sanctions – as an important date for the 2015 Iran’s nuclear deal.
President Donald Trump, who pulled the United States from the deal during his first term, is also pushing for a new deal, while European powers have made several cycles on the issue with Tehran in recent months.
There is a growing sense of urgency around seeking diplomatic paths to control Iran’s nuclear program during the Middle East conflict. United Nations Nuclear Watch Dog Warning That Iran is fast Increased its stock Which is considered a grade uranium near the bomb. Iran denied that it wants a nuclear bomb and insists that its nuclear energy program is “completely peaceful.”
It is at this stage that China now steps in with its diplomatic push, which observers say, according to Beijing’s purpose, is to keep itself as an alternative global leader in the United States – a goal is to see more opportunity to achieve Chinese leaders because Trump has laid down his “US”.
“China is encouraging to protect its interests, enhance its territorial influence, and strengthen its image as a responsible global power (Iran’s nuclear issue),” said Tong Xiao, a senior colleague of Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Think Tank in Washington.
He added that keeping both Russia and Iran in the room, China’s aim is to highlight the importance of non -Western views to solve global challenges. “
China has long been a lawyer for the 2015 nuclear deal – or the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The deal actually held talks between the UN Security Council and five permanent members of Tehran, with Iran’s nuclear program ban.
Beijing has criticized the United States for his withdrawal from the deal, opposing US sanctions on Iran. After the return of the United States, Tehran went away from its nuclear promises.
Under the 2015 agreement, countries have to mobilize the so -called “Snapback” of international sanctions on Iran by October, which were raised under the JCPOA.
China’s UN Ambassador to Fu Kong, “We still hope that we can occupy a limited time before the expiry date in October this year, so that a new agreement can be signed so that the JCPOA can be maintained.” Told reporters Prior to the UN Security Council meeting on Iran’s nuclear program on Wednesday.
“Putting maximum pressure on a particular country will not achieve this goal,” he said, with reference to Trump’s approach to alienating Iran from acquiring Tiran from acquiring nuclear weapons, he said.
Trump told Fox News last week that he wrote to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khaamini, adding: “There are two ways to handle Iran: militaryly, or you make a deal. I will prefer to make a deal, because I am not trying to hurt Iran.
But Iran has indicated in recent times that he has no interest in talking to Trump, Khamenei has criticized efforts to talk to “bullying states”.
It is unclear what a potential new contract will be – or how it will be broken. Observers say that not reaching an agreement could lead to an increase in the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which has exchanged direct strikes between Israel and Iran, or can see that Tehran can see its position on nuclear weapons.
“Effectively, everyone is competing to solve the problem,” said Sanam Walkal, director of the Middle East and North Africa program at the Chhatham House think tank in London. “In the climate of numerous parallel efforts, it was an opportunity to align for Russia and China and try to present their version of how the contract looks like.”
Beijing and Moscow are both united “Iran does not want to want to surrender its nuclear program to weapons and find a diplomatic solution,” but want to make a tight deal around Tehran’s nuclear program, while Europe and perhaps the United States would like to make a wider deal.
Iran also sees China and Russia as potential allies in such debates. Tehran and Moscow have increased cooperation in recent years as Iranian drones help Russia a war in Ukraine.
China is an important economic and diplomatic supporter to Iran, but it also seems to balance its relations with Tehran with growing relations with partners like Saudi Arabia. Last week, what Chinese government media said by Russia, China and Iran has been his fifth joint naval exercise since 2019.
“For Iran, (meeting in China) is a symbolic opportunity. Wakel said he could continue his alignment with Russia and China… (and) the message continues to see that he is looking for engagement.
A shown of the three alignment can also benefit Beijing at a time when the Trump administration sought to back down against the emerging “axis” between Beijing and Moscow and the emerging “axis” between China, Russia, Iran and North Korea.
The Kremlin spokesman said that Russia has also offered to participate in nuclear talks between the United States and Iran, when Moscow Washington, under Trump, was warm.
“Russia and Iran’s future policy instructions will significantly affect the Middle East and beyond China’s strategic powers,” said Zhao of Carnegie Endowment.
He added, “Such harmony also indicates solidarity against the American efforts to sow divide into them.”
Beijing has put a lot of stake in the Middle East.
China relies on the region for energy and has worked to deepen its strategic relations there, including wealthy Gulf states and traditional US allies. Beijing showed its ambitions to become a power player in the region in 2023, when it played a role in brokering the relations between long -standing rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia.
Observers say that if China could engage in Trump’s pressure on its own firms with Iran in Iran, it is also strictly seeing the ability that if no agreement was reached.
“However, the meeting in Beijing is not an indication that China is interested in allowing Russia and Iran here to give free rides or spread the principles of spread,” said Esfandyar Batinglidge, founder of the Boris & Bazaar Foundation’s think tank.
“The thing that reflects this is that China has serious concerns that if Iran is not dealt with by negotiations with the nuclear program, it can accelerate the crisis in the Middle East,” he said.
Nevertheless, Beijing has the limits of the ability to become a broker on this problem even to enhance its role. Looks like. It is a relatively inexperienced player in the region where the United States has long been the dominant power, and despite its economic links with Tehran, observers say it has little impact on the country’s policy.
“Russian and Iranian believe that this is a relatively new new role that China is taking as a mediator for these major international conflicts. “China can actually become the architect of these negotiations, to the extent that it is realistic,” said Batmaghlidge.
He said, but both of them are “happy to participate in China’s spectacle emerging as this new player.”
