Is China doing enough for Iran?

Video Description

China is doing a great deal for Iran – more than much of the commentary acknowledges. Diplomatically, Beijing condemned the US-Israeli strikes in the strongest terms, demanded respect for Iran's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and called the killing of Khamenei a clear violation of international law – a stark contrast to Western governments, which responded by condemning Iran for defending itself. Beyond diplomacy, China has been a major contributor to Iran's economic development over two decades, providing infrastructure, energy, telecommunications and agricultural investment, and sustaining that economic relationship in the face of sweeping US sanctions. Military cooperation, including the supply of missiles and air defence systems, has also been significant. That said, China does not possess the global power-projection infrastructure that the United States has spent decades and trillions of dollars building – the network of bases, aircraft carriers, alliances and weapons systems that gives Washington its unique capacity to wage war anywhere on earth. Criticising China and Russia for failing to simply neutralise US military hegemony misunderstands both the nature of that hegemony and China's strategic posture, which is focused on defending its own territory rather than projecting force abroad. The more important point, however, is that Iran does not need saving. It is a fiercely independent country with formidable military capabilities of its own – as US bases across the Gulf and cities in Israel are finding out. There is no magic wand that China or Russia can wave to make imperialism disappear overnight. What exists is a strong, sovereign Iran defending itself with skill and determination, backed by the diplomatic and economic solidarity of its partners. The key for anti-war movements in the West is to put maximum pressure on their governments to condemn, and not participate in, this criminal war. This video is a clip from an interview with Carlos Martinez by Roger McKenzie for @ManifestoPressCoop . The full interview can be watched here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUQ0uaeZTDk