Iran is no China

by Gareth Smith March 3, 2010

written by Gareth Smith March 3, 2010

When United States President Barack Obama came to office promising engagement with Iran, American observers recalled Richard Nixon’s 1972 trip to Beijing which opened the way to normalized relations with China. In practice, “engagement” has meant two meetings in October, and Washington is no nearer to diplomatic relations with Iran. There is even a hollow ring to the Obama administration’s argument that it has encouraged Moscow and Beijing to back further United Nations sanctions over Iran’s atomic program. While last autumn’s cancelation of a US missile shield scheduled for eastern Europe has eased tension with Russia, Washington’s standing with China is falling. Notably, Beijing has not sent a senior representative to the leading powers’ discussions over Iran. American analysts argue China’s Iran policy is based on economics, especially its thirst for Iranian oil and gas. Naturally, this is a factor. Visiting Hong Kong in January, Mohammad Nahavandian, head of Iran’s

America China iran

Gareth Smith

Gareth Smith was a distinguished journalist who reported from the Middle East for over two decades. He served as the Financial Times correspondent in Tehran, where he was the chief Iran correspondent from 2003, following his earlier role as Lebanon correspondent. Throughout his career, Smith covered Middle Eastern affairs for leading media outlets, including The Financial Times, The Guardian, and the BBC. He also contributed as an editor to Executive magazine. His work as a freelance journalist in the 1990s, focusing on the politics of Iran and Iraq, paved the way for his appointment at the FT. In 2009, he relocated to the west coast of Ireland, where he balanced freelance journalism with his passion for nature and the land.

Iran is no China

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