China hasn’t offered any “opportunity” to Iran. Stop talking nonsense. China just uses Iran as a political card with the West. China voted for UN Security Council sanctions just like Russia did.
Chinese companies were awarded lucrative oil and gas contracts and never fulfilled them and were kicked out of Iran for refusing to comply with contracts due to them being afraid of Western sanctions.
Go look at Chinese-Iranian trade ex cheap crude that the teapot refineries buy and you will see that it’s mostly in the form of cheap finished Chinese goods flooding the market. There is no ToT or major investment projects being offered or ongoing.
They signed a so called 20+ year “strategic agreement” with Iran and so far it was just a fancy political document. Dont get me wrong, Iran has made mistakes as well in relationship with China. But under Xi, he rather keep his investment lines open with UAE and Saudi Arabia and Qatar than risk any major investment with iran. China has firmly picked good economic relations with the Arabs and Turkey over anything substantial with Iran. That isn’t changing anytime soon.
There is no major opportunity offered by China that Iran is refusing. There hasn’t been in over a decade. Iranian officials may talk about pivoting to the East, but there is nothing to pivot to. China has shown no interest in a strategic relationship (economic + military) with Iran. You cannot force a country that doesn’t want to have strategic ties with you to do so.
So it’s quite puzzling users here keep referring to China as some obvious opportunity that Iran is refusing.
Well, Iran has kicked out China's investors including its automakers to adhere the deal offered by the Obama admin in 2015.
And since that time, Xi and his think tanks felt betrayed by Iran, therefore they became more vigilant to Iran.
If Iran can prove its worth this time, you will receive your compensation for making the right strategic decision.
For example, in the 1950, Mao didn't want to fight the US and have warned North Korea to not attack South Korea because the US would consequentially take the military action.
However, Soviet Union has incited North Korea to attack South Korea, and in result, North Korea had to ask China for rescue and effectively dragged China into the war.
Soviet Union had just barely recovered from the devastation of the WWII, and didn't want to fight the US by themselves, and requested China to fight on their behalf and to rescue North Korea.
China was reluctant to fight the US, but still made the right strategic decision, and created a stalemate with the US at the expensive of enormous casualty.
Soviet Union eventually decided to help China to establish the foundation for the initial industrialization, and they didn't offer us their best technology, but their obsolete WWII era technology, but it was still indispensable for the early stage of our industrialization.
This was how China has earned its first bucket of gold.
Iran is now also facing two choices, either to capitulate to Israel or to fight its way to a new strategic opportunity.
