A highly controversial leaked document that outlines a proposed military and trade pact between American foes China and Iran has been the subject of public criticism in the Persian Gulf. The document, titled “Comprehensive Plan for Cooperation between Iran and China”, is a 25-year plan that was first mentioned by government officials in June, but no details were given.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Javad Zarif announced last week that the partnership, which was apparently proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping during a diplomatic in 2016, had been approved by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and his Cabinet last month.
The 18-page draft reportedly includes sweeping security and economic partnership deals that would pave the way for China to invest billions in Iran’s struggling energy sector and economy. The agreement would expand Beijing’s presence in Tehran’s telecommunications, ports, banking, railways, and other crucial sectors. In exchange for this, Iran would provide regular and discounted supplies of oil for the next 25 years.
However, many Iranian analysts and politicians believe that the so-called plan is just wishful Iranian thinking and longing for cooperation with China. Iranian political analyst Reza Haqiqatnezhad said on Wednesday that the document does not include any figures or details. “There are only 10 proposals made of dreams and floral language about boosting cooperation between Iran and China,” he tweeted.
Experts have also insinuated that in exchange for $400 billion in Chinese investments, the deal would include handing over a strategic foothold, Kish Island, to Beijing and allowing them to deploy troops and forces in the country. According to the New York Times, the document also calls for joint military training and exercises, intelligence sharing, and joint weapons development and research. Apparently, this will be done in a bid to fight the wars on terror, human and drug trafficking, and cross-border criminal activity.
Last September, the Chinese foreign ministry had dismissed reports of a possible long-term investment agreement with Tehran. Last week, however, a spokesperson for the ministry signalled the possibility of a deal that may be in the works.
Iran has been hit hard by US sanctions and has been isolated diplomatically by the West and the Arab world alike. Under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) signed between Iran and the P5+1 along with the European Union (EU), Tehran had committed to limit its nuclear activities in lieu of a lift in economic sanctions and other assistance. But it abandoned those commitments when US President Donald Trump withdrew from the deal and reimposed crippling sanctions on the Islamic Republic, choking its main source of income—oil exports.
The US’ other adversary, China, has stepped up its military cooperation with Iran over the past few years. Since 2014, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) had participated in several military and naval exercises with its Iranian counterparts. The prospect of an economic partnership that will boost the current financial situation in Iran directly undermines the efforts of the White House in isolating Rouhani’s government through its ‘maximum pressure’ strategy.
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Chinese state-owned news agency Xinhua reportedly quoted Iranian Navy commander Adm. Hossein Khanzadi as describing these exercises as proof that “the era of American invasions in the region is over”.
Prior to the document leak, several analysts had speculated that Iran would exchange its natural resources and military bases with China for its financial investments. Now, critics of the alliance from around the world are criticizing the document for being a “colonial agreement”, comparing it to the Treaty of Turkmenchai signed between Persia and Russia in 1828, which ceded territorial control of large parts of now-Iranian territory to the control of the Russian monarchy.
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