Iran War: The China Angle

Did you know that war in the Middle East could have a bearing on whether China attacks Taiwan? And have you seen what China's said about it? Hi, this is Helen in China. This week, I'm going to be telling you about three things you need to know about China's murky relationship with Iran and why what's happening in the Middle East could really affect interests here. So, first up, what is China's relationship with Iran? Well, it sees Iran as a crucial partner in the Middle East and importantly a counterbalance to US influence in that region. And frankly, China is the key reason Iran hasn't yet gone bankrupt. It buys 80% of its exported oil, often shipped on shadowy fleets to evade sanctions. It's sold the Iranian regime vast surveillance and censorship systems. and it's invested hundreds of billions in Iran's energy and infrastructure and banking sectors. And all of this means that Iran is really pretty dependent on China. And this dependency not only makes money for China, but it also buys it a strong influence in what Iran does. And that extends to keeping the US distracted, giving China more space to pursue its interests in Asia. So what has China said about it? Well, it has strongly condemned what's happened. Not interfering in the internal affairs of other nations is a principle that the Chinese often refer to. Have a listen to the foreign minister Wangi. Now, China has spent years telling the world that it is the most reliable global superpower. Contrasting itself to what it sees as the chaos wrought by Donald Trump. This whole situation very much plays into that narrative. So finally, what does this all mean for Taiwan? Well, China has made no secret it wants to see reunification with the self-governing democracy that it sees as a breakaway province. The biggest deterrent to it taking such action is the threat of intervention from the US. So, if the US gets bogged down in a protracted conflict in the Middle East, depleting it of energy and military resources, that could be a golden opportunity for China. The way that Trump is also rewriting norms about adherence to international law could also be something China could take advantage of. But if it is going to fight its own war, China will need resources, energy, and allies, particularly from a region like the Middle East. If the US ultimately prevails over Iran, all of that might be harder to come by. See you. I'll have more next week.

Could the US’s involvement in the Middle East deplete its ability to intervene in China’s goals of reunifying with Taiwan? Asia correspondent Helen-Ann Smith explains how the war in the Middle East could affect China’s national interests. SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube channel for more videos: http://www.youtube.com/skynews Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/skynews Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/skynews Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skynews Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@skynews For more content go to http://news.sky.com and download our apps: Apple https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/sky-news/id316391924?mt=8 Android https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bskyb.skynews.android&hl=en_GB Listen to our new podcast This is Why, available for free here: https://podfollow.com/thisiswhy To enquire about licensing Sky News content, you can find more information here: https://news.sky.com/info/library-sales