Two Chinese warships paid a port call to Iran over the weekend, in advance of a four-day joint naval exercise with the Iranian navy that was reportedly to begin Monday. The visit highlights China鈥檚 ties with Iran, at a time when the outcome of international negotiations over Iran鈥檚 nuclear program remains uncertain.
As those negotiations resume, China seems to be the least concerned of all the parties about their outcome. This apparent indifference is understandable: Iran is physically distant from China; has not threatened China directly or through supporting terrorism targeting China; and is not China鈥檚 only source of Middle Eastern oil. In sum, Iran is not a vital national interest for China, , flexible and susceptible to outside influence.