China and Iran have had a long history of economic, social, and military cooperation which spans over hundreds of years ago. This kind of cooperation has been preserved up to the present moment in which the relationship between the two countries is more directed to mutual economic benefits. While Iran benefits from military and technological support from China, China obtains oil to fuel its rapidly growing economy since the amount it produces on its own is not sufficient to run the economy.
Ultimately, the relationship between the two countries has culminated into an oil cooperation in which China has been entrusted with a majority of oil exploration tenders in Iran especially during the period in which economic sanctions had been issued against Iran. China remained an ally to Iran despite calls from the Western economic giants for the abandonment of bilateral relations with Iran as a punishment for its refusal to abide by the nuclear deal initiated by the United States. As a result, the oil cooperation has deepened mainly because China has been the main partner to Iran in a period during which economic sanctions were hitting hard on the country’s economy. However, the sanctions were recently lifted, allowing Iran to go back to the global oil market.
The main aim of this study was to assess the impact the lifting of the sanctions could have on the oil cooperation between Iran and China. The researcher implemented a quantitative approach in which three measures were performed; the value of Iran’s oil-related exports to China prior to and after the lifting of sanctions, the value of Iran’s exports to the entire world prior to and after the lifting of sanctions, and the value of Iran’s exports to China expressed as a percentage of the total value of Iran’s oil-related exports to the world. Findings illustrated that the value of Iran’s oil exports to China indicated a rising trend prior to the lifting of economic sanctions and a falling trend after lifting of the sanctions. On the other hand, Iran’s exports to the entire world illustrated a falling trend prior to the lifting of sanctions and a rising trend after lifting of sanctions. China’s falling trend indicates that bilateral relations between China and Iran are reducing since Iran is focusing more on the global oil market (rising trend for the oil exports to the world).
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- INTRODUCTION
- Background to Iran-China Relations
- Ancient Relationships between Iran and China
- Iran-China Relationship in the Post-World-War II Period
- PROBLEM STATEMENT
- RESEARCH OBJECTIVE
- General objective
- Specific Objectives
- LITERATURE REVIEW
- Factors Likely to Undermine Iran-China Oil Cooperation
- Mutual Suspicion between the two countries
- Political Factors
- Economic Benefits
- METHODOLOGY
- Research Design
- Instrumentation
- Data Collection
- Iran's Oil Trade Data Collection
- Data Analysis
- Analysis of Oil Exports to China
- Analysis of Oil Exports to the World
- Combined Analysis
- Hypotheses
- Concluding Remarks
- DISCUSSIONS
- Hypotheses Testing
- Conclusion and Recommendations
- References
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This study aims to assess the sustainability of the Sino-Iranian oil cooperation considering factors that may hinder this relationship. It investigates the essential nature of this relationship, emphasizing its importance, and proposes recommendations for sustaining this cooperation. The study highlights that, despite mutual benefits, the oil cooperation is undermined by factors such as mutual suspicion, global oil market competition, and political influences. Notably, the sanctions imposed on Iran's oil and gas sector by Western countries are examined as a significant political factor that impacted the oil cooperation pattern. The research focuses on the impact of the lifting of these sanctions on the oil cooperation dynamics between Iran and China.
- The historical and contemporary relationship between Iran and China
- Factors influencing the sustainability of Iran-China oil cooperation
- The role of political factors, particularly sanctions, in shaping the oil cooperation
- The impact of the lifting of sanctions on the oil cooperation between Iran and China
- Recommendations for sustaining the Sino-Iranian oil cooperation
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The introductory chapter provides a detailed background on the history of Iran-China relations, tracing its origins from ancient times to the post-World War II period. It highlights the significance of the Silk Road in connecting the two countries and examines the evolution of their relationship, emphasizing the economic, social, and military cooperation between the two nations. The chapter further introduces the main research objective, which is to assess the impact of the lifting of sanctions on the Iran-China oil cooperation. It also outlines the specific objectives and the problem statement that the study aims to address.
The second chapter delves into the existing literature on Iran-China oil cooperation, focusing on factors that could undermine the relationship. It examines the dynamics of mutual suspicion, political factors, and economic benefits that influence the cooperation. This section provides a theoretical framework for understanding the complexities of the Iran-China oil cooperation and the potential challenges it faces. It also analyzes the impact of the sanctions imposed by Western countries on Iran's oil and gas sector and how it impacted the oil cooperation.
The third chapter outlines the research methodology employed in the study. It discusses the research design, instrumentation, and data collection methods used to gather information about Iran's oil trade. The chapter explains the data analysis procedures, including the analysis of oil exports to China, oil exports to the world, and a combined analysis of both. It also outlines the hypotheses tested in the study and concludes with a brief summary of the chapter.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The study focuses on the analysis of Iran-China oil cooperation, considering the impact of sanctions and the lifting of sanctions on the relationship. Key concepts explored include oil cooperation, bilateral relations, sanctions, global oil market, mutual suspicion, and economic benefits. The study examines the historical and contemporary dynamics of the Iran-China relationship, emphasizing the importance of understanding political and economic factors influencing the oil cooperation. The research draws upon empirical data and theoretical frameworks to analyze the sustainability of the Sino-Iranian oil cooperation and propose recommendations for its future development.
- Quote paper
- Bachelor James Muthanga (Author), 2018, Iran-China Oil Trade. Impact of the sanctions on the oil cooperation between Iran and China, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/416190
