The Impact of China’s Energy Security on Sino-Iranian Relations

Energy security is an integral part of national security of China, which needs to satisfy its constantly increasing demand for energy in order to sustain its economic growth, main driver of China’s current position in the international arena. Therefore China’s energy security concerns are inevitably reflected in its foreign policy and foreign relations. One of the most concrete examples of this reflection is the Sino-Iranian relations. It is crucial to understand Iran’s role in China s energy security in order to analyze current relations between the two countries. Within this framework, China’s relations with Iran will be examined using the four As of energy security (availability, affordability, accessibility and acceptability). It will be emphasized that China’s energy security concern shapes Beijing’s foreign policy approach toward Tehran and makes Iran an important trading partner for China