The Growing Tehran-Beijing Axis

Iran’s state-run Press TV channel reported on July 27 that “China’s oil giant Sinopec Group has signed a big gas deal worth 100 billion dollars with Iran. Known as the ‘deal of the century’ by energy experts, Sinopec is going to buy 250 million tons of natural gas [over] 30 years from Iran, and will help Iran to develop its giant Yadavaran oilfield in exchange for Tehran’s commitment of exporting 150,000 oil barrels per day to China for 25 years at market prices.”

“In order to establish its long-term control of Iranian energy resources,” says Dr. Xiaoxiong Yi, a professor at Marietta College, “China’s economic and strategic initiatives in Iran go far beyond the energy field and include a wide spectrum of areas, ranging from infrastructure construction and nuclear proliferation to trade, tourism, and military cooperation. Economically, China is helping Iran to build dams, steel mills, shipyards and many other projects.”