Dr. Hussain Ghaheri
Meysam Baharlu
Amir Mohmad Esmaelei
The People’s Republic of China has formulated a comprehensive strategy for its Belt and Road Initiative. This strategy involves information gathering, policy development, economic collaboration, and the establishment of favorable international conditions through the participation of media, universities, research centers, and the business community shared by the countries involved. What is crucial for the Islamic Republic of Iran is the extent it plays a role in this plan in alignment with its own interests within the Belt and Road Initiative.
To fully leverage the Belt and Road Initiative and maximize the benefits of the 25-year agreement with China, Iran should prioritize the establishment and promotion of essential collaboration infrastructures outlined in the aforementioned plan. One crucial infrastructure is the presence of shared research and academic institutions between Iran and China, which will contribute to achieving the following objectives:
- Joining the network of universities, research centers, and think tanks existing in various countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, Silk Road think tanks, Silk Road University Union, and the Network of Belt and Road Studies.
- Conducting shared field studies by Iranian and Chinese researchers to explore the potential for mutual collaborations based on field challenges and opportunities.
- Exchanging human resources in various academic fields to identify the capacities of both sides.
- Defining academic and research projects in various industries.
- Developing collaboration ideas between Iranian and Chinese universities in fields such as commerce, economics, management, etc.
- Providing policy recommendations to the private and public sectors in Iran and China.
- Studying the legal problems and challenges faced by businesspeople from both countries.
- Establishing a legal arbitration structure in both countries.
- Teaching and providing guidance on Chinese commerce law to Iranian businesspeople.
- Teaching and providing guidance on Iranian commerce law to Chinese businesspeople.
This collaboration aims to engage academic and political elites in Iran-China interactions. However, to ensure successful cooperation between the two countries, it is important to persuade public opinion, particularly in Iran, about the benefits of such collaboration for national interests. To achieve this, it is also necessary to have shared media platforms related to the Belt and Road Initiative, in order to accomplish the following objectives:
- Joining the international media network of the Belt and Road Initiative, such as the Belt and Road News Union and Association of Belt and Road Media Collaboration.
- Persuading and informing the public, various social strata, and Iran’s private sector about the potentials of Iran-China collaboration that align with the country’s national interests.
- Countering fake news and propaganda from adversary media by providing accurate and appealing information, and persuading the public through social networks, TV, satellite, and other media platforms.
In addition to academic and political elites and the public, another crucial target is the business community of the countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative. The Chinese government has set its sights on establishing shared international structures through organizations such as the Belt and Road Union of International Chambers of Commerce, the Belt and Road Industrial and Commercial Union, the Global Association of the Belt and Road, the Belt and Road General Chamber of Commerce, and the International Association of the Silk Road. Therefore, it is imperative for both the public and private sectors in Iran to identify ways to join these dedicated organizations and take appropriate action accordingly.
Note: The Complete version of this essay is in Persian Website of Think Tank