Analyzing Iran's Geopolitical Relations with China in the Asia-Pacific Region

Zarei, Bahadur; Mohammadi, Hamid Reza; Doroudian, Mohammad Reza

doi:10.22034/igq.2025.460528.1903

Analyzing Iran's Geopolitical Relations with China in the Asia-Pacific Region

نوع مقاله : مقاله پژوهشی

نویسندگان

Bahadur Zarei ¹

Hamid Reza Mohammadi ²

Mohammad Reza Doroudian ³

¹ Associate Professor, Faculty of Geography, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

² Associate Professor of Shahid Beheshti Faculty of Earth Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

³ A Senior Student at the Faculty of Geography, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

10.22034/igq.2025.460528.1903

چکیده

From Iran’s perspective, China represents the most significant strategic partner in the Asia-Pacific region. Despite consistent political, geo-economic, and geo-strategic cooperation over the past decade, the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA has led China to adopt a more cautious approach toward Iran. Although bilateral ties have grown closer over the last four decades, particularly in economic domains, geopolitical relations have remained asymmetrical—favoring China's national interests. China does not perceive Iran as a strategic actor of equal geopolitical weight due to its broader global and regional ambitions. The 25-year strategic cooperation agreement signed in 2021 aimed to deepen bilateral ties, but has yet to produce tangible results, partly due to U.S. pressure. This research uses a descriptive-analytical method and is of a fundamental nature. It aims to examine the capacities, challenges, and obstacles shaping Iran–China relations, offering solutions to rebalance this asymmetry. The study also investigates the strategic role of China in shaping regional policies and explores the evolution of Iran’s geopolitical engagement in the Asia-Pacific realm. Data collection is based on library resources, academic papers, books, and online materials.
The research concludes that Iran must engage more strategically and symmetrically with China, aligning bilateral ties with mutual geopolitical interests. Strengthening such cooperation can help Iran leverage its strategic capacities more effectively in light of ongoing regional and global shifts.

کلیدواژه‌ها

Geostrategic Territories

Geopolitics

Geoeconomics

Iran

China

موضوعات

ژئوپلیتیک

عنوان مقاله English

Analyzing Iran's Geopolitical Relations with China in the Asia-Pacific Region

نویسندگان English

Bahadur Zarei ¹

Hamid Reza Mohammadi ²

Mohammad Reza Doroudian ³

¹ Associate Professor, Faculty of Geography, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

² Associate Professor of Shahid Beheshti Faculty of Earth Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

³ A Senior Student at the Faculty of Geography, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

چکیده English

کلیدواژه‌ها English

Geostrategic Territories

Geopolitics

Geoeconomics

Iran

China

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