An Analysis of China’s Military Diplomacy towards Iran

The main goal of this article is to examine the evolutionary process of organizing and advancing China's military relations and arms diplomacy towards Iran. China is now recognized as the most prominent rising power of Asia-Pacific in the international balance of power. In this regard, the authors of the present study, using the formal statements of china`s officials and analyzing documents, have sought to answer this question that “what factors affect the formulation and furtherance of China's arms cooperation with Iran”? The hypothesis put forward to answer this question by the present study suggests that “Analyzing China's approach towards military diplomacy and arms cooperation with Iran can be divided into three separate time frames; Since 1979 to 1990, through military cooperation with Iran and besides earning profits and overcoming technological underdevelopment, Beijing sought to contribute to a more balanced distribution of power in West Asia. Until 2012, China adjusted its military engagement with Iran due to the mounting importance of the US parameter in its foreign policy, but since Xi Jinping took office in 2013, China-which now sees itself as a major power-has pursued a more strategic approach towards military ties with Iran.