China–Iran relations

China–Iran relations

China–Iran relations (Chinese: 中国–伊朗关系, Persian: روابط ایران و چین) refer to the bilateral relations between the People's Republic of China and Iran.

The relationship between the two is very old, going back more than 2,500 years. Their earliest interactions began when the Achaemenid Empire and the Zhou dynasty had indirect contact in the 6th century BC.

Persian merchants helped carry goods and culture across Central Asia. They brought their religions, music, and ideas into China. Ambassadors were exchanged, and Chinese travelers visited Iran. Each side shared new goods with the other, the most famous of which was Chinese silk. The trade route carrying silk from China to Europe passed through Iran and became known as the Silk Road. Iran controlled much of the trade that moved silk, metals, glass, and textiles between East and West.

In modern times, official diplomatic relations began in 1937 between the Republic of China and Pahlavi Iran. After the Iranian Revolution, China and the U.S. did not trust each other. Sanctions by the west pushed Iran closer to the east. Cooperation grew, with China buying most of Iran's shipped oil and investing in transportation and industry. Relations grew stronger through economic agreements and China's Belt and Road Initiative, making Iran one of China's most important strategic partners. In 2021, the two nations signed a 25-year cooperation agreement.

History

The relationship between China and Iran is very old, going back more than 2,500 years. Their first contacts happened in the 6th century BC between the Achaemenid Empire and the Zhou dynasty.

The first official contact was around 200 BC between the Parthian Empire and the Han dynasty. The Chinese envoy Zhang Qian visited the Parthian court.

Chinese records from the Han dynasty describe Parthia as a developed urban area. Trade routes, which later became the Silk Road, allowed goods and ideas to travel between the two regions through Central Asia. This early connection helped build deeper relations later.

During the Sassanian Empire, ambassadors from Iran often went to China. Both empires traded along the Silk Road and worked together to protect these routes. In later years, the two regions kept interacting, especially during the Mongol Yuan dynasty. Many Central Asian and Persian people became part of Chinese society. This time saw many cultural and technological exchanges, like paper money and printing moving from China to Iran.

In the 20th century, China and Iran officially started diplomatic ties. After the People’s Republic of China was formed in 1949 and the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979, the two countries kept their diplomatic relations. Recently, they have worked more closely on energy, trade, and building projects, even with challenges from Western powers.

Economy

Further information: China–Iran trade relations

After the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action was signed in 2015, China and Iran agreed to grow their trade a lot over ten years. This happened when Chinese leader Xi Jinping visited Hassan Rouhani. They signed seventeen agreements, including one about the Iranian nuclear program. China plans to help connect Tehran with Mashhad using their high-speed rail technology.

Oil and gas

See also: Petroleum industry in Iran

Oil and gas are very important for China and Iran. China buys a lot of oil from Iran. China is helping Iran improve its oil and gas industry. The China National Petroleum Corporation made deals to find gas and oil in Iran. China also helps Iran send oil to other places by building pipelines.

China thinks Iran is important for its energy. China has agreed to buy gas from Iran for many years. China also sells gasoline to Iran when needed.

In 2011, China and Iran agreed that China could help control some of Iran’s oil and gas areas. Because of this, China buys most of Iran’s oil. By 2026, China bought more than 90% of all Iranian oil.

Trade

During the Cold War, trade between Iran and China grew slowly. By 2007, trade was $15 billion. China became Iran’s second biggest supplier in 2005. China built many things in Iran, and Iran supplied China with materials.

Trade between the two countries reached $45 billion in 2011. In 2023, Iran exported $4.59 billion to China, and China exported $10 billion to Iran. By 2025, China became Iran’s biggest trading partner.^: 108 

Infrastructure

Line 5 of the Tehran metro was built by the Chinese company NORINCO.

New Silk Road

Main article: Belt and Road Initiative

By 2019, Iran joined Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s One Belt One Road plan. Iran is important for China’s goals. There are train routes through Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. In 2016, the first direct container train from Yiwu to Tehran took 14 days. Plans are to make this a regular service.

Iran and China are updating railways to connect Ürümqi to Tehran, and also Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. In 2016, a test run from Shanghai to Tehran took 12 days instead of 30 by sea. In 2018, China planned a new freight train line with Iran. In 2020, China planned to invest in Iran’s infrastructure for discounted oil. The rivalry between the US and China influenced this agreement.

Politics

Iran and China support each other in many ways. For example, China spoke out against the United States when it attacked an Iranian airplane.

Military

China is thought to have helped Iran train people, give technical help, and supply materials for missiles. They also held their first joint naval exercise in 2017 to help with safety at sea.

In 2021, Iran’s new leader wanted closer ties with China and Russia. In 2022, the three countries did naval drills together in the northern Indian Ocean.

There have been reports of more work together in security, information, the military, and technology between Iran and China.

China and Iran have done naval drills with Russia in the Sea of Oman and the Indian Ocean.

Nuclear technology

In the 1980s, China helped Iran build a research center and a nuclear power plant. Now, China is part of a deal to make sure Iran does not build nuclear weapons, but it does not push very hard to stop it.

UN sanctions

Iran depends on China’s power in the United Nations to help protect it from sanctions by the United States.

China usually prefers talking instead of sanctions. In 2010, China agreed to support UN sanctions on Iran only because the United States asked it to.

Ideology

China and Iran became friends in 1920. They started official diplomatic ties in 1937.

Both countries see themselves as leaders of old and important cultures. They also do not trust the United States very much, but many young people in both countries admire some parts of American life and culture.

China has supported the government in Syria that Iran backs. China has also said that outside interference in Syria makes problems worse.

In 2015, China said Iran could join a new bank it started called the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

In 2016, China’s leader said he supported Iran joining a group of countries called the SCO.

In 2019, many countries, including Iran, signed a letter supporting China about how it treats some Muslim groups.

In 2020, China spoke out against the United States for killing an Iranian general, saying it broke international law.

In 2020, Iran was one of many countries that supported a United Nations law.

After Iran took action against Israel in April 2024, China’s foreign minister talked with Iran’s leader and said Iran’s action was for self-defense.

In January 2026, China voted against a United Nations resolution about events in Iran.

2026 Iran war

Further information: China in the 2026 Iran war

China has said it does not want to change the government in Iran and called for stopping fighting in the Middle East. China asked that Iran’s rules be respected.

In February 2026, the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran, but China did not say much. Even though Iran fought back and threatened important oil routes, China did not directly fight with the United States. China’s quiet response showed it cares more about Taiwan than its partnership with Iran.

After a ceasefire in April 2026, reports said China planned to send some weapons to Iran, but would hide where they came from.

Society

China and Iran have important historical connections. Both countries are proud of their ancient pasts. But after a big change in China in 1949, the two countries had little contact until the 1960s.

Today, some people in Iran have mixed feelings about China because of economic differences. Surveys show that about half of Iranians have a positive view of China's leadership. There are about 2,000 Chinese people living in Tehran, and many Chinese companies have moved to Iran.

Intermarriage

Iran and China have a long history of people marrying from each other's countries. For example, Persian Muslims in China sometimes married local women, and Persian women also married Chinese men. Historians have found old letters written by Persian women living in China. These stories remind us of the deep connections between the two cultures over many centuries.

See also: Chinese people in Iran and Iranians in China

Culture

Chinese culture has influenced Iran's books, TV, and special events. Many Chinese restaurants have opened in Tehran, Iran's capital. China works to show itself in a good way to keep strong ties between the two countries. Iran also shares its culture in China, and people there enjoy it. China started a Confucius Institute at the University of Tehran and at the University of Mazandaran to teach Chinese language and culture.

Literature

Li Shunxian, a woman from both Persia and China, wrote famous Chinese poems during the Tang dynasty. People like Ha Dechen and Wang Jingzhai helped change Persian books into Chinese. The works of Sadi are very popular and have been shown on Chinese TV.

Linguistics

Through trade along the Silk Road, Chinese people learned many words from Middle Persian, especially names for special goods. These words came from older languages like Elamite or BMAC.

Huihuihua is a special kind of Chinese that uses many Persian and Arabic words.

The Galle Trilingual Inscription is linked to the travels of Zheng He.^{[citation needed]}

Issues

Diplomatic issues

In June 2024, China said it supports peaceful solutions for islands in the Persian Gulf that Iran controls but the UAE claims. Iran disagreed and talked to China's ambassador about their upset.

In December 2025, China again supported peaceful solutions for these islands in a statement with the UAE. This made Iran unhappy. Some Iranian leaders said China was unfair and not respecting Iran's land. They also talked about China's strong views on places like Taiwan.