Chinese foreign policy and rapprochement with Iran: economic interdependence or shifting balance of power in the Middle East?

Abstract

The article examines the Chinese foreign policy for Iran. Its hypothesis is based on China’s intention to use the growing Iranian regional influence as a tool for hard and soft balancing on US interests in the Middle East, accordingly to Robert Pape’s concept of balance of power.

Keywords

• relações sino-iranianas
• balanceamento de poder
• política externa chinesa