The fierce war that lasted for 12 days between Israel and Iran is now over. During this time, there came a time when America dropped GBU-57 bombs from its B-2 bombers on Iran’s Chinese nuclear sites Natanz, Fordo and Isfahan. After the US attack, Iran retaliated and fired several missiles at the US airbase in Qatar. It seemed that now a direct war could start between America and Iran and obviously, fighting a war with America would mean a great disaster for Iran.
But China’s reaction in this entire incident was quite surprising. China was quietly watching this war sitting on the side. Some statements were issued by the Chinese Foreign Ministry, but they were just formal statements.Therefore, questions arise that what was China silently watching during America’s war on Iran?
According to a report, at one time during a visit to Shanghai, a senior Chinese strategist was asked what would be China’s reaction if there was a war between America and Iran?
So it was expected that he might talk about the surge in oil prices and the impact it will have on Chinese manufacturing, but his answer was surprising. He said that ‘China would see America embroiled in another expensive war.’ That is, China had no interest in helping Iran, rather the Chinese strategist said that “another costly war for America would dig the grave of its global dominance.” For China, the Middle East has always been a ‘graveyard of empires’ and even today Beijing is watching events with the same strategic patience.
In a report, Lyle Goldstein, director of the Asia Program of Defense Priorities, has written that ‘China is looking at the Israel-America-Iran war in such a way that the more America fights the war, the weaker it will be and China will benefit from it in the future.’ A ceasefire has been implemented between Iran and Israel, but the possibility cannot be ruled out that this war may start again in the future. And amid all this, reports have started coming that China, like Pakistan, has also started offering its weapons to Iran. China is trying to sell its J-10C fighter aircraft to Iran. Apart from this, China wants Iran to buy air defense network, electronic warfare system and air to air missiles from it. That is, China wants to gain geo-political advantage from Pakistan to the Persian Gulf.