Relationship dossier
People's Republic of China
Iran
Relationship assessment
A sustained strategic and economic partnership, with implementation and the depth of cooperation still evolving.
People's Republic of China toward Iran
+55China has maintained significant economic and energy ties with Iran, including purchasing Iranian oil despite U.S. sanctions. The Chinese government established a comprehensive strategic partnership with Iran in 2016 and signed a 25-year cooperation agreement with Tehran in 2021.
Iran toward People's Republic of China
+55Iran has pursued expanded strategic and economic cooperation with China, establishing a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2016 and signing a 25-year cooperation agreement in 2021. Iran has also joined the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, in which China is a member.
Overall relationship
+55The relationship is anchored by a long-term strategic partnership and substantial economic and energy cooperation. The 2016 partnership and 2021 cooperation agreement provide a durable framework, though the relationship is not a mutual-defense alliance and the extent of agreement implementation remains uncertain.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
China and Iran have maintained a substantial strategic and economic partnership. Their governments established a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2016 and signed a 25-year cooperation agreement in 2021. China has continued energy and trade ties with Iran despite U.S. sanctions, while Iran has pursued expanded cooperation with China. The relationship includes significant cooperation but is not a formal mutual-defense alliance.
Key developments
China and Iran established a comprehensive strategic partnership during Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Iran.
The two governments signed a 25-year cooperation agreement.
Major uncertainties
- The extent to which the 25-year cooperation agreement has been implemented is unclear.
- The scale and durability of energy and investment cooperation are difficult to assess.