Flashpoints | Security | East Asia

The China-Russia-North Korea Authoritarian Axis Looms Over Wars in Ukraine and Iran

Taiwan and other Indo-Pacific targets could be next.

China’s reported sale of shoulder-launched missile systems to Iran should be concerning not just to the United States but also to Australia and other major powers in the Indo-Pacific.  It demonstrates a deeper strategic partnership between Beijing and Tehran – one with destabilizing consequences for the Middle East – and shows a certain recklessness in Chinese behavior.

But China is not alone in this endeavor. Russia is an active party aiding Iran in a variety of ways, even though it has its hands full with its ill-advised invasion of Ukraine. Sino-Russian assistance to Iran degrades the international security situation in the Middle East and worsens the Strait of Hormuz crisis. And North Korea is involved too, completing the authoritarian axis.

According to a July 29 Reuters report, the China-Iran weapons contract is for shoulder-fired missile systems – up to 400 QW-12 and FN-16 man-portable air defense systems – under a deal worth between $60 million and $70 million. The missile systems could help Iran rebuild short-range air defenses, which have been severely degraded after five months of Israeli-U.S. military strikes.

To hide its role, China reportedly had a Hong Kong-based company, Zhongqing Baoshang International Investment, act as a middle agent facilitating the deal with Iran. China’s Foreign Ministry rejected the reports, saying that they had “no factual ground at all.” The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson also added that “China always works for peace and the end of the conflict.” China’s Defense Ministry spokesperson made a similar statement saying that he was “not familiar with the relevant situation.”

This isn’t the first time reports about China’s sale of missile systems have become public. In February, Reuters reported that Iran and China were closing a deal for the sale of Chinese CM-302 supersonic anti-ship missiles. With a 290 km range, these were meant to boost Iran’s strike capabilities against the U.S. navy. In April, The New York Times, citing U.S. intelligence agencies, reported that China “may have sent a shipment of shoulder-fired missiles to Iran.” However, this report was somewhat unclear, as “the intelligence is not definitive that the shipment has been sent,” nor was there clear evidence that Iran had used the missiles against the United States. Nevertheless, these repeated reports show that China has enough stake in Iran to provide military supplies, despite the risks involved.

In May, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned 12 Chinese entities and six individuals for providing........

© The Diplomat