by SouthFront
On October 14, SouthFront: Analysis & Intelligence stated that “China actively prepares for the participating in the Russian anti-ISIS operation“. As all our conclusions, this was grounded on the lots of work. Nonetheless, time to time, readers express doubts about our conclusions or even argue that we provide “wishful thinking” or kind of “patriotic believes” [SF’s editor: LOL]. So, we’ve decided to show a little of our analyses’ backstage. Let’s check how the “alternative” anti-ISIS coalition including at least Russia, Iran, China, Syria is arising.
On September 15, Iran’s top diplomat Mohammad Javad Zarif arrived Beijing for talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. The main goals of the meeting was the hard-fought deal limits Tehran’s nuclear programme. After the meeting, Wang noted energy was a “traditional area” of cooperation between Beijing and Tehran, and their overall relationship “will have new prospects after the comprehensive Iran nuclear deal is implemented”. According to the Chinese media, the officials also discussed cooperation in infrastructure projects and security efforts in the Middle East.
Both China and Iran (as Russia) systematically argue that the Syrian and Yemeni crises could be solved only through the diplomatic solution, but the US activity complicates this process. The officials emphasized an importance of the economic partnership between Iran and China. Separately, Mohammad Javad Zarif noted that official Tehran will wait a return visit in next months.
On October 12, Syrian Presidential Political and Media Advisor Bouthaina Shaaban arrived Beijing. She met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. According to the Syrian media, Shaaban briefed Wang on the crisis in Syria and the latest political and military developments, particularly in terms of the Russian-Syrian cooperation in counter-terrorism. On October 13, Bouthaina Shaaban held a press conference. During it, she stated that Western media falsify information about the situation in Syria and expressed gratitude for the diplomatic Chinese support in the UN. Separately, she noted that the Russian Aerospace Defence Forces (VKO) shown high effectiveness in Syria which allowed the pro-government forces to start offensive actions.
The main goal of the Shaaban’s visit was to restore the economic and military cooperation between two countries. Syria has been seeking to buy Chinese military equipment: VN-1, PF-98 and others. An important fact was China decided to provide a humanitarian assistance to Syria (35 million yuan) after the visit.
On October 7, Sun Jianguo, Chinese deputy chief of General Staff of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, arrived Moscow to hold talks with his Russian counterparts over the topic of countering ISIS in Syria. Jianguo noted that the Russian airstrikes in Syria killed 82 militants of the “East Turkestan” terrorist organization banned in China. On October 14, Sun Jianguo visited Tehran to discuss the possibility of Chinese warships to use the Iranian waters to shell the ISIS positions in Syria and Iraq with ballistic missiles. They will move through the Inran’s air space.
This is only a little part of the processed data. However, event it’s enough to conclude that Syria, Iran and China are preparing to joint efforts against ISIS. The possible reason of this is success of the Russian efforts in Syria. Moreover, it seems the Chinese and Iranian diplomats believe that a joint use of force against ISIS can’t be resisted by the US-led block’s diplomatic, economic or military means. Separately, the Middle East countries have been seeking to expand their military and economic cooperation with China.
This makes perfect sense.
I have been saying all along on the blog that China is definitely on Russia’s side. People get fooled sometimes by the lack of public statements and macho-talk on the part of Chinese officials.
This is the Chinese style. Say nothing, but do a lot.
The Chinese like to keep quiet until they have decided that they will do it 100%. Part of the reason is otherwise they feel they will lose face and obviously, trust. I’m quite serious about this, it is not meant as a criticism at all. There is a chinese saying, “once you have uttered a sentence, no horses can bring it back”, meaning, “you better mean what you say”.
I have just seen an RT report on Xi’s visit to Britain.
Wow. Camoron is pulling out *all* the stops – lavish Guildhall banquet, full Buckingham Palace treatment – all the royals out to greet him. Even the Queen’s cavalry in all their red and gold glory..
Xi took it all in his stride in his trademark Zen-impassive style. Wore a simple but beautifully-tailored Mao suit to the banquet – a sharp contrast to frills and furs of his hosts.
I wonder if the Opium wars and the ransacking of the Summer Palace crossed his mind?
No doubt about it, Camoron is wooing China big-time. This does not bode well for the US..
Meanwhile I saw a photo on Fars News of a meeting between a top Chinese military general and his Iranian counterpart. They greeted like old friends in an low,-key relatively informal setting. Clearly the relationship is substantial and a comfortable one.
Xi will no doubt make some deals in China’s national interest, but I can’t ever see the Chinese military having the same connection with their British counterparts as they do with the Iranians.
In case you are not aware, In Tang Dynasty some 1000 years ago, when Persia was over ran by Arabs, Their Prince with more than one million Iranians came to China for refuge. The emperor took them in. Iran and China has a long relation that dating back to Han Dynasty over 2000 years ago, if not even earlier. Many of our fruits, and musical instruments are come from that direction.
Eimar, the States and England are siamese twins and will not go against each other. All that Ken-doll Cameron is doing is trying to get China away from Russia…nothing else…no luck there….
Saker, could you please do a post on Russian-Iranian relations? Perhaps interview an expert from the Russian side with some knowledge on the matter. Has Russia reconsidered some of her views towards Iran? In the past, both Russia and China have been very unwilling to sell to Iran any meaningful weapons systems while NATO armed the Gulfies to the teeth. Iran’s sense of insecurity could certainly be curtailed to some extent if Russia for example sold to them more of an air force.
Thank you.
thanks Saker and South Front..so this does mean ‘political solution’ is about USA…
Grotesque that these problems are only to be solved politically with USA because USA is the aggressor in both cases – Syria and Yemen.
Oh God forgive us for creating this monster of a nation…please may we get this monster back in a cage before it wrecks the planet we all live on.
The question is not if China wil joint efforts against ISIS , the question is when !
Dear The Saker,
The Russians have surprised everyone again:
https://www.rt.com/news/319244-assad-putin-talks-moscow/
Assad is in Moscow meeting Putin now. First time outside Syria in 4 years!
The Chinese at the same time in Britain getting them to take a step back by offering trade.
Rgds,
Veritas
We can see Assad and Putin feel at ease with each other. Assad looks extremely happy.
Never seen him so happy!
Russia: Assad and Putin sit down for dinner in Moscow:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQvoXhYDado
Assad tells Putin he is “hugely grateful to Russia”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEFPI67d88U
Putin meets Assad for talks in Moscow
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IH1TcidNPGw
Regards,
Carmel by the Sea
“Syrian Presidential Political and Media Advisor Bouthaina Shaaban arrived Beijing”.
I wonder how many Arab or Islamic nations would send a woman as a senior diplomatic envoy on such an important mission? Saudi Arabia? Probably not. Iraq? I’m not seeing that right now. Libya? Well, they don’t really do diplomacy at all. Under Qadafi that was because he believed in just saying what he thought, which renders diplomacy redundant. And since his death, because the people who think they run Libya don’t do diplomacy, they just do violence.
I was just thinking the same thing.Not a single ME Muslim country (except the Palestinians at one time) has/had women in such important positions of power.
Some flesh on the bones of the video done earlier.
Yes, China may act. But there will be plenty of public preparation via announcements of legal invitation by Syria and Iraq. China is as legalistic as Putin on such matters.
Also, it is much more likely that large shipments of military supply will precede any Chinese military operations. Forward placement of everything under normal supply will be necessary.
With Japan scratching for a fight in the East China Sea region China would like to test its own capabilities for air combat in a controllable way. Syria and Iraq would serve them well.
China was a communist ally during Soviet era. China’s relation with Iran are new based on its need for oil/gas. China’s support for Syria is due to its friendly relations with Russia and Iran.
China’s oldest non-communist regional ally is Pakistan. Both even share a tiny common border along disputed Jammu and Kashmir Valley.
China was the only world power which supported Pakistan during India’s invasion of its eastern province East Pakistan (now Bangladesh).
In April 2015, Chinese president Xi Jinping accompanied by his wife paid a two-day visit to Islamabad. During the visit Xi Jinping signed several military and infrastructural contracts worth $46 billion with Pakistan.
http://rehmat1.com/2015/04/20/china-to-invest-46-billion-in-pakistan/
prince andrew snub chinese prez xi over the tibet issue [sic]
omfg, how i hate these santimonious prxxx !
questions for the Pr,
[guardian wont print it….]
1] u’ve no issue while uk of fukus suck up to us the evil empire ?
2] tibet enjoys very preferential policies unparalled anywhere on earth,
while the chagosians are rotting in some foreign slums thousands miles away,
courtesy of fukus, seems its ok with u eh ?
where’s ur sense of decency?
what happens to that old english adage
*charity starts at home * ?
3] u’r of cause free to *stand up to china* [sic],wait till u try standing up to tptb’s
profitable war machine at home !
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/mar/12/humanrights.military
i doubt u’ve the *cojone* like kathy kelly, hehehe
sainthoward.blogspot.com/2014/12/putting-saints-in-jail.html
4] fukus keep saying tibet is illegit.
if thats so, what about the big chunk of southern tibet u robbed from china
in 1903 and later *bequeathed* to india, currently known as arunapradesh ,
the bone of contention bet the two asian giants till this day ?
never heard anybody talk about the legality of that part of india,
does two *negative* makes a *positive* ?
5]
just curious, how many afghans civilians , er, *terrorists* u *wasted* in your pr sojourn , was that uk’s third, or was it fourth invasion of that cursed land ?
Your comment..that’s what I want and all people around thanks to xi and putin
>”On October 14, Sun Jianguo visited Tehran to discuss the possibility of Chinese warships to use the Iranian waters to shell the ISIS positions in Syria and Iraq with ballistic missiles. They will move through the Inran’s air space.”
Which Iranian waters the Persian Gulf? That makes less than no sense. If China was going to steam that far they would go to the Mediterranean instead. Besides they would get off what a dozens shots maybe? The cost/benifit of that would be all wrong.
More importantly the leadership in China stated recently that they were NOT getting involved in Syria.