The Inaugural Policy Making Council of the Iran-China Think Tank for Strategic Studies
During the inaugural Policy Making Council of the Iran-China Strategic Studies Think Tank in February 2022, Dr. Hossein Ghaheri highlighted the initial studies carried out for the think tank’s formation. Inspired by China’s strategic repositioning, the core concepts of the think tank began to take shape. China’s transformation can be divided into three distinct periods:
- The first period (1980-1990): During this time, China aimed to significantly improve its GDP in order to ensure food security for its population. At that time, a large portion of the Chinese population struggled with food scarcity, often not having access to even one meal per day.
- The second period (1990-2000): China’s objective during this phase was to raise its GDP to 1,000 billion USD. Remarkably, China not only achieved this goal but also transitioned from a nation plagued by hunger to a semi-industrialized country.
- The third period (ongoing until 2050): China’s current objective is to attain the standards of a fully developed nation.
Currently, we find ourselves at a midway point in our journey. Over the past 30 years, Iran has engaged with China, but it has not been able to fully align itself with China’s progress. This can be attributed to various factors, including the lack of comprehensive studies conducted to understand the agendas of the Chinese government and its people. To move forward, it is crucial to identify the areas where Iran’s interests align with China’s third-term program. By doing so, Iran can leverage these alignments to its advantage. China’s model of development encompasses three key strategies:
- An active strategy to establish deep-rooted connections with countries that possess energy resources.
- Creating favorable conditions for the participation of Chinese corporations in the Middle East.
- Actively encouraging foreign investors to engage with Chinese programs.
Our think tank is committed to taking proactive measures in various areas to overcome the existing obstacles hindering Iran-China relations. In the coming year, we plan to sign memoranda of understanding with both Iranian and Chinese universities. Through our comprehensive studies, we aim to generate valuable insights that will contribute to the expansion and strengthening of relations between our two countries. To achieve this, we have established different committees within the think tank, focusing on various fields of study. In order to gain a deeper understanding of the issues at hand, we will invite former ambassadors to China to share their experiences. Additionally, we plan to document and compile the 40 years of experiences acquired by these ambassadors, allowing us to identify and analyze the challenges encountered in Iran-China relations over time. This will enable them to better navigate the complexities of the bilateral relationship and build upon the progress made in the past.
Here are the committees in the think tank:
The commercial committee: Studies the history of commerce between the two counties, identifies obstacles hindering the expansion of business between the two countries, provides counsel to businesspeople of the two countries, identifies potential markets in the two countries, and offers education and guidance on commerce in the two countries.
The cultural committee: Formulates and introduces cultural commonalities, holds shared cultural ceremonies, organizes cultural tours.
The academic and research committee: Conducts collaborative research projects with universities, provides assistance with shared dissertations between universities, facilitates student exchange programs between the two countries, supports student scholarships between the two countries, defines research projects in various industries, dispatches academic teams for knowledge exchange, and organizes shared academic conferences.
The environment committee: Studies the factors contributing to environmental devastation and pollution, facilitates experience exchange between the two countries, promotes the deployment of environmentally friendly technologies, provides environmental guidelines for locating large-scale industrial units, agriculture, and human residences, enhances collaborations between the two countries in environmental matters, and raises awareness about environmental conservation.
The Silk Road committee: Studies the geopolitics, diplomacy, and historical events and processes of the Silk Road.
The political science committee: Forms a study team to research the 25-year agreement, analyzes the political interactions between the two countries over the past 100 years, and formulates a program for joint political actions until 2050.
The legal and arbitration committee: Studies the legal problems and challenges faced by businesspeople in both countries, establishes a legal arbitration framework in both countries, provides education and guidance on Chinese commerce law for Iranian businesspeople, and provides education and guidance on Iranian commerce law for Chinese businesspeople.
We hope that the members of the think tank can work towards achieving previously unattained goals in Iran-China relations. While China is Iran’s largest strategic partner, Iran does not hold a significant position among China’s top partners. This implies that we must exert more effort, as China may not prioritize its relations with Iran. In recent years, we lacked a designated person in charge of relations with China, a specific agenda, and a guidebook for navigating this partnership.