The Eastern Tripartite: China, Russia and Iran
Russia and China understand diplomacy, or do they?
Both countries have deflected Western moves to authorize any U.N. Security Council threats against Iran. Representatives from both countries believe that the Iranian nuclear issue can be resolved through negotiations and compromises.
The U.N. Security Council compromised of China, Russia, the United States, Britain and France has been unable to reach a plan of action on how to deal with Iran – they are divided. On the one hand, the Americans, Britons and French are determined to have Iran halt its alleged nuclear ambitions as well as reveal any clandestine nuclear program they might have been pursuing. On the other hand, the Chinese and Russians believe that the situation is being blown out of proportion where diplomacy and negotiations should be the key to a successful solution.
The divisions in the Security Council are quite peculiar. The United States considers Russia an ally in the war against terrorism and an old-foe-turned-friend after the end of the Cold War. Moreover, the United States considers China as a strong trading ally however fears its Communist doctrine and its prospects of achieving hegemony in the Northern Hemisphere.
The Russians consider the United States an ally however there continues to be competitive tensions as Vladimir Putin tries to put Russia in the international spotlight. According to Ariel Cohen at the Heritage Foundation Putin’s policies present challenges to the current Bush administration. These areas of concern include: National Missile Defense, proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction and the issues surrounding selling arms to Iran and China.
The Chinese pose a defensive guard vis-à-vis the US. After experiencing a period of foreign policy leniency from the Clinton administration, the Chinese realized that the current Bush administration is tougher and will not always acquiesce. The prime example of US-Chinese disagreements rests on the sovereignty of Taiwan. China considers Taiwan part of its sovereign territory whereas the US believes that the Taiwanese issue should be agreed upon on both sides. But at the same time the US conspires with Taiwan independence supporters in order to keep it separate.
Russian-US and Chinese-US tensions certainly exist.
The Russians and Chinese are using their veto power in the Security Council to test Western powers’ waters – especially the United States. Iran is an ally of both the Russians and Chinese and they are not willing to give that up.
In essence, the Sino-Russo collaboration via the Iranian crisis seems to be a method of standing up to the US, proving to them that they will not always have it their way. Naturally, both the Russians and Chinese seek to enhance their military and their position of power politics. The Iranian crisis is the perfect way of using ping-pong diplomacy in order to achieve the latter and to strengthen their soft-power influence in the region. In fact, both countries will like to see Iran strengthen its own military so as to balance the power in the region. Moreover, on a collective basis, China, Russia and Iran would pose a formidable military strength against the US – no matter the diplomacy, it is a world where ‘survival of the fittest’ clearly reigns.
Both countries have been able to keep a civil, diplomatic and a superficial ‘icing on the cake’ relationship with the US however the current crisis with Iran might reveal true governmental disagreements which have merely been suppressed for the sake of stability.
Both countries have deflected Western moves to authorize any U.N. Security Council threats against Iran. Representatives from both countries believe that the Iranian nuclear issue can be resolved through negotiations and compromises.
The U.N. Security Council compromised of China, Russia, the United States, Britain and France has been unable to reach a plan of action on how to deal with Iran – they are divided. On the one hand, the Americans, Britons and French are determined to have Iran halt its alleged nuclear ambitions as well as reveal any clandestine nuclear program they might have been pursuing. On the other hand, the Chinese and Russians believe that the situation is being blown out of proportion where diplomacy and negotiations should be the key to a successful solution.
The divisions in the Security Council are quite peculiar. The United States considers Russia an ally in the war against terrorism and an old-foe-turned-friend after the end of the Cold War. Moreover, the United States considers China as a strong trading ally however fears its Communist doctrine and its prospects of achieving hegemony in the Northern Hemisphere.
The Russians consider the United States an ally however there continues to be competitive tensions as Vladimir Putin tries to put Russia in the international spotlight. According to Ariel Cohen at the Heritage Foundation Putin’s policies present challenges to the current Bush administration. These areas of concern include: National Missile Defense, proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction and the issues surrounding selling arms to Iran and China.
The Chinese pose a defensive guard vis-à-vis the US. After experiencing a period of foreign policy leniency from the Clinton administration, the Chinese realized that the current Bush administration is tougher and will not always acquiesce. The prime example of US-Chinese disagreements rests on the sovereignty of Taiwan. China considers Taiwan part of its sovereign territory whereas the US believes that the Taiwanese issue should be agreed upon on both sides. But at the same time the US conspires with Taiwan independence supporters in order to keep it separate.
Russian-US and Chinese-US tensions certainly exist.
The Russians and Chinese are using their veto power in the Security Council to test Western powers’ waters – especially the United States. Iran is an ally of both the Russians and Chinese and they are not willing to give that up.
In essence, the Sino-Russo collaboration via the Iranian crisis seems to be a method of standing up to the US, proving to them that they will not always have it their way. Naturally, both the Russians and Chinese seek to enhance their military and their position of power politics. The Iranian crisis is the perfect way of using ping-pong diplomacy in order to achieve the latter and to strengthen their soft-power influence in the region. In fact, both countries will like to see Iran strengthen its own military so as to balance the power in the region. Moreover, on a collective basis, China, Russia and Iran would pose a formidable military strength against the US – no matter the diplomacy, it is a world where ‘survival of the fittest’ clearly reigns.
Both countries have been able to keep a civil, diplomatic and a superficial ‘icing on the cake’ relationship with the US however the current crisis with Iran might reveal true governmental disagreements which have merely been suppressed for the sake of stability.
posted by The Egyptian Observer at 3:11 PM
2 Comments:
Russia and China often try to check the US. However, Iran is an issue on which they can easily align themselves with the US.
China just signed an oil deal with Saudi Arabia, which would lose significant influence in the Persian Gulf if Iran got the bomb.
That the issue of Iran now faces the Security Council shows that there is international agreement that Iran is a problem. Notice that no measures have been taken against Darfur. This is because China will block any efforts to isolate the Sudanese. The Chinese have major oil interests in Sudan.
LP. Iran is certainly an issue where China and Russia can easily align OR equally deviate themselves from the US.
I would say that there is 'international agreement' among the Security Council members that Iran is a problem per se. Or for the Russians and Chinese, Iran being a method of bargaining.
Are China and Russia trying to check the US this time?
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