Why China is unlikely to restrain Iran
Officials in Beijing are looking out for China’s interests, not anyone else’s
EARLIER THIS year, when the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen were attacking commercial ships in the Red Sea, America approached China for help. In talks with their Chinese counterparts, American officials reportedly asked them to urge Iran to rein in the Houthis. Months later, after Israel struck the Iranian consulate in Syria, America again approached its biggest rival. This time it was said to have asked China to tell Iran not to retaliate.
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This article appeared in the China section of the print edition under the headline “Friends, sorta”
From the April 27th 2024 edition
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