Iran sanctions: Which way will China go?
| Beijing
听As world powers wrangle this month at the United Nations about how to handle Iran鈥檚 nuclear plans, China is attempting to balance its thirst for Iranian oil and natural gas with its ambition to be a diplomatic heavyweight.
听Tough sanctions against Iran听could have serious economic consequences for China, one of the five veto-wielding permanent members of the UN Security Council. Any significant disruption of China鈥檚 oil and gas supplies, coupled with setbacks to the country鈥檚 development deals in those sectors, could hamper Beijing鈥檚 scramble to ensure that its booming economic growth keeps pace with the rising expectations of its people.
China, the world鈥檚 second-largest consumer of oil, gets about 11 percent of its oil imports from Iran and has signed billions of dollars in contracts for Iranian oil and gas projects. The Financial Times recently estimated that Beijing is now Tehran鈥檚 largest trading partner.
听However, China has left no doubt that it also wants to be considered a major player in crucial world issues such as stopping nuclear proliferation in Iran and elsewhere. Beijing鈥檚 rulers have signaled their willingness to juggle hot-button domestic concerns such as Taiwan and Tibet, which they sometimes use to stir anti-Western sentiment, with their growing attention to international strategy.
An indication of a shift in emphasis came earlier this year. At the end of January, the US government announced more than $6 billion in planned arms sales to independently ruled Taiwan, a move that infuriated Beijing, which considers the island as part of China. About three weeks later, President Obama gave the Dalai Lama 鈥� whom Beijing considers a separatist leader, if not an enemy of the state 鈥� a White House audience. The two moves upset the Chinese leadership and led to speculation that China would retaliate by not sending President Hu Jintao to a nuclear summit in Washington in April.
When the summit began, however, after a decision by the Obama administration to refrain from labeling China a currency manipulator, Mr. Hu was in attendance, ready to talk about Iran.
A global, not regional, player
鈥淭he Dalai Lama is a regional issue . . . whereas the Iranian nuclear issue can only be solved on the international stage,鈥� said Yin Gang, a senior analyst at the government鈥檚 Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. 鈥淚f (China) does not go to the nuclear summit only because of the Dalai Lama or weapons sales to Taiwan, the whole world would not be pleased with us. The Chinese image would not be of a big power, but a young boy.
It was a telling decision, said Kenneth Lieberthal, the director of the John L. Thornton China Center at The Brookings Institution, a center-left Washington policy research organization.
China 鈥渉as come to be seen as a global player and not just a regional player,鈥� he said in a phone interview. Lieberthal recently wrote of China鈥檚 standing that, 鈥淚 think that Beijing has been somewhat startled at the rapidity with which its global position has strengthened.... China is just beginning to develop the posture it will want to take on major global issues.鈥�
It鈥檚 a posture that shifts between a willingness to listen to the United States and deep resentment of America鈥檚 role as the world鈥檚 sole superpower.
While no one knows how big the Chinese economy will grow 鈥� it was the world鈥檚 third-largest last year and is expected to move up a notch soon 鈥� Beijing鈥檚 Iran dilemma has made it clear that some of China鈥檚 goals increasingly will intersect with some of America鈥檚.
听Li Guofu, the director of Middle East studies at a Foreign Ministry policy institute in Beijing, recently said that China has essentially the same position as the United States on Iran, which is that the country shouldn鈥檛 be allowed to develop a nuclear weapons program.
Like many Chinese, though, he questioned the usefulness of imposing a fourth set of sanctions on Iran, noting that it has continued to enrich uranium despite three prior rounds.
US double standard on nukes
A few minutes later, Li asked why Israel, a US ally that many suspect would attack Iran before allowing it to have a nuclear weapon, has been allowed to amass a nuclear arsenal.
听鈥淭he whole key here is whether you are an American ally or not. If you are an American ally, everything is solved. If not, then everything is a problem,鈥� said Li, his voice rising in irritation. 鈥淒on鈥檛 talk about any treaties, don鈥檛 talk about any rules, it鈥檚, 鈥業f I trust you there鈥檚 no problem.鈥� 鈥�
听To convince the Chinese government of the need for stricter sanctions on Iran, there鈥檚 been a flurry of diplomatic effort by American and Israeli delegations, aided by other Western nations and Arab Middle Eastern countries that are worried about a nuclear-armed Iran. (The US and Israeli embassies in Beijing wouldn鈥檛 comment, nor would the Israeli Foreign Ministry.)
The Israelis argue that there鈥檚 convincing proof that Iran is moving toward nuclear arms. Ma Xiaolin, a Middle East analyst in Beijing who鈥檚 attended talks with high-ranking Israeli officials, said the message was usually the same: 鈥淚t was, 鈥業ran is the biggest threat in the Middle East and the world.鈥� 鈥�
As a result of those Israeli concerns, American officials told the Chinese during November meetings in Beijing that Israel couldn鈥檛 be stopped indefinitely from attacking Iran鈥檚 nuclear facilities, according to US and Israeli news reports that cited senior officials in both countries.
Saudi oil to China?
The Americans also offered a carrot, said Mr. Ma, the analyst and former Chinese state media senior Middle East correspondent.
听鈥淗igh-ranking US officials have been telling the Chinese government that if it supports sanctions against Iran, the oil that has been supplied to China from Iran will be replaced by oil from other countries in the Middle East,鈥� he said.
The Saudi government news service said in March that officials there denied working with the US to pressure China about Iran sanctions.
The message from the West and its allies is clear, however: China should support sanctions if it wants to avoid upheaval in the Middle East. For the Chinese, though, where many of those conversations are taking place is also important: The world is coming to Beijing to make its case.
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