Iran-fuelled Chinese economic emergence should be cause for Western concern

Chris Carta
The Phoenix (UBC Okanagan)

KELOWNA, B.C. (CUP) — With the recent developments in Iran vis-à-vis their nuclear research, there could be many troubling consequences. Iran and its madman president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad are by no means friendly to Western interests. This puts them in the precarious position of having to develop their nuclear program illegally.

An illegal nuclear development program is always troubling, even when the offending nation says they are developing a solely civilian nuclear program, and I think we can safely say that Iran is lying about that. What makes the Iranian situation even more troubling are the connections to China.

The Chinese have been supplying nuclear technologies and knowledge to the Iranians for quite some time. Compounding this is China’s growing need for oil. In July 2004, the Iranians announced the discovery of two new oilfields which raised their oil reserves to 132 billion barrels, the second largest in the world. China was listening.

Focusing on oil, Iran is consciously looking eastward, with a clear intent of reinforcing its linkages with China. In developing new strategic partnerships, Iran is offering China and India lucrative investment opportunities in its oil sectors. Iran has formalized a deal with China, which conservative estimates say would amount to $70 to 100 billion.

It includes a Chinese commitment to purchase 250 million tonnes of Iranian liquefied natural gas over 30 years, develop the giant Yadavaran oilfield in southwest Iran (near the Iraqi border), and import 150,000 barrels a day of crude oil from the field at market prices.

In the long term, China also hopes to participate in an Iranian pipeline project (the so-called “Nekka project”). This pipeline would link Tehran to the Caspian Sea. From there, a line with another planned pipeline from Kazakhstan to China is envisaged. China’s deal with Kazakhstan is remarkable. Under this deal, China will acquire the right to develop two oilfields (Aktuibinsk and Uzan) in exchange for its commitment to build a 3,000-kilometre pipeline from the oilfields to China’s Xinjiang province, and a 250-kilometer pipeline to the border of Iran (via Turkmenistan).

The construction of these pipelines is in progress. When completed, the pipeline is expected to transport a huge quantity of oil from Kazakhstan to China. It would leave China in the least vulnerable position with respect to oil transportation risks, which is extremely advantageous in our oil-dependent world.

With all of these events occurring it is easy to picture Iranian and Chinese relationships getting even rosier. If China has such a vested interest in Iran then it’s logical to assume they will take necessary steps to safeguard those interests from Western interference.

On the surface China may appear to be co-operative, maybe even congenial, but under the surface they still look upon the West as a potential threat, and with good reason.

The West has never treated others with any respect. The West has worked to systematically destroy their culture, their language and their identity. We have dominated them politically, militarily and ideologically and have been doing these things for centuries. Is it any wonder that the vast majority of the world population hates the West?

China’s evolution into an economic powerhouse is continuing at a staggering rate and can no longer be ignored by the rest of the world. They have slowly been eroding American influence in many regions, including Latin America, Africa and the Middle East. They have been especially successful in regions that share some of their thought processes.

The East has stood opposed to the West for centuries, separated by a deep divide of culture, ideas, values and beliefs. The West has suppressed those differences since the White European first came into contact with the residents of other continents. This suppression will not hold for much longer. The East is rising and so is their influence.

If Western forces move to militarily block the Iranians’ efforts at developing nuclear technology, China will be left with little choice but to mobilize to protect its interests in the region. It will do this not only because of the threat to its oil supplies but also because of the threat from the West against an Eastern country. China understands the dangers of the West and our powers of oppression, suppression and dominance. The difference is that now China is in a position to stop us.