China, Russia and Iran negotiate in Beijing about a nuclear deal

China, Russia and Iran negotiate in Beijing about a nuclear deal

China welcomes diplomats from Iran and Russia to talks on the Nuclear program on Tehrans on Friday. Beijing thus pursues the goal of positioning himself as an important mediator in an internationally considered a pressed security problem.

diplomatic efforts by China

The Chinese deputy Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu will lead a meeting with his counterparts from Iran and Russia in the Chinese capital, as the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced at the beginning of this week. The Russian deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov and the Iranian deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi are expected to take part in the meeting. This meeting takes place in a phase in which the countries are under pressure, to find diplomatic solutions or to trigger a return to sanctions, since an important period of the Iran Nuclear Agreement in 2015 is imminent.

changes in the USA and European discussions

President Donald Trump, who pulled the United States out of this agreement during his first term, also relies on a new deal. At the same time, the European powers have had several round talks on this topic in the past few months. The pressure to protect the nuclear agreements and the need for a diplomatic path have become more and more urgent, especially in view of the conflicts in the Middle East.

China's role and motivation

china goes into this topic and strives to position itself as an alternative global leadership. "China is increasingly motivated to deepen his participation in the Iranian nuclear question in order to protect his interests, to expand its regional influence and to strengthen his image as a responsible global power," said Tong Zhao, Senior Fellow at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington.

competition for solutions

China has long campaigned for the 2015 nuclear agreement, the so-called joint comprehensive action Plan (JCPOA), and criticized the US decision from the agreement. Within the agreement, the states involved have time until October to achieve a so-called "snapback" activation of international sanctions against Iran, which were lifted as part of the JCPOA

The uncertainties of a new agreement

The form of a potential new agreement remains unclear and could have dramatic effects on the existing conflict in the Middle East, with Israel and Iran have already exchanged direct attacks. "Basically everyone competes to solve this problem," noticed Sanam Vakil, director of the program for the Middle East and North Africa at Chatham House in London. "In a climate of parallel efforts, this was an opportunity for Russia and China to coordinate in their suggestions for a possible deal."

China's strategy in the Middle East

China has a strong economic and diplomatic interest in Iran, while it is also trying to expand relationships with other partners such as Saudi Arabia. The joint naval exercise between Russia, China and Iran, which was carried out last week, shows the commitment in the region.