'An old issue': China, Iran to continue 'strong relations' despite Beijing's stance on disputed Gulf islands

China's united call with Abu Dhabi for talks over disputed islands in the Persian Gulf will not seriously damage its ties with Iran, as Beijing and Tehran seek closer links, observers said.

In a rare protest, the Iranian foreign ministry summoned Chinese ambassador to Tehran Cong Peiwu on Sunday to protest against a joint statement by China and the United Arab Emirates.

The statement said China supported the UAE's effort for a "peaceful solution" to the Greater Tunb, the Lesser Tunb, and Abu Musa "through bilateral negotiations in accordance with the norms of international law and following international legitimacy".

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Both the UAE and Iran claimed sovereignty over the three islands in the Strait of Hormuz, which have been under Iranian control for more than five decades. The statement was made following a visit to Beijing by UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

The Iranian foreign ministry asked China to revise its stance "considering the strategic cooperation between Tehran and Beijing", according to a statement from Tehran.

Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Monday that China's position on the three islands issue had been "consistent" in "calling on both parties to resolve their differences peacefully through dialogue and consultation".

She added that China and Iran had "strong relations", and "China attaches great importance to the development of the China-Iran comprehensive strategic partnership".

Tehran summoned Cong Peiwu, China's ambassador to Iran, to protest about the statement. Photo: Bloomberg alt=Tehran summoned Cong Peiwu, China's ambassador to Iran, to protest about the statement. Photo: Bloomberg>

Iran took control of the three islands in 1971, shortly before the governing Gulf sheikdoms gained independence from Britain to form the UAE with other sheikdoms.

After independence and the formation of the United Arab Emirates, two emirates, Ras el Khaimah and Sharjah, continued to claim sovereignty over the three islands.

Tehran maintains that its sovereign claim over the three islands is non-negotiable, while the UAE says Iran's control of the islands violates international law, as it sought support through multiple diplomatic channels, including China and the Gulf Cooperation Council.

Liu Xinlu, director of the school of Arabic studies at Beijing Foreign Studies University, said Beijing would not change its position on the controversial issue despite Tehran's pressure, and its move would not have a significant impact on Sino-Iran relations.

"The three island issue is actually 'an old issue' [for Iran and the UAE] ... Beijing's position is relatively neutral, which is just calling for a dialogue to solve the problem. Iran wants to force China to choose sides through [diplomatic pressure], but China is certainly not going to make that choice," Liu said.

"Currently, Iran cannot get away from China, and does not want to make too much trouble with it."

This is not the first time Iran has been irritated with Beijing's stance on the three islands. In 2022, late Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi expressed "dissatisfaction and complaints" to former Chinese vice-premier Hu Chunhua in Tehran after Chinese President Xi Jinping told Arab nations that their territorial disputes with Iran - namely the three islands - should be solved by negotiation.

"Frankly speaking, Iran actually can accept Beijing's stance on the issue because it has actual control over the islands ... Tehran was just expressing an attitude at most, the country's [protests] have been commonplace for so many years," Liu added.

China has positioned itself as a neutral power and a peace broker in the Middle East to expand its influence beyond its economy. Last year, Beijing brokered a historic peace deal in which Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed to revive relations severed in 2016.

But Middle East-focused research fellow, Yin Gang, at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said "there is nothing China can do" on the three islands issue.

"The dispute will continue, but it will not escalate," Yin said, describing the issue as an inherent problem of the Gulf states that cannot be solved.

"The normalisation between Saudi Arabia and Iran will not change the conflict [regarding the islands]. It is right for China to not stand with Iran, China should adhere to support for a political solution."

Pinar Akpinar, an associate professor in international affairs at Qatar University, added that Iran's move would not affect China's growing mediation role in the Middle East, despite Beijing's statement drawing anger from Tehran.

"Mediation is a more complex issue - neutrality is often not the only criteria for effective mediation or choice of mediators. Sometimes being able to convince the parties through leverage could be more important," Akpinar said.

"China has a lot of leverage over Iran as its biggest partner."

Beijing's stance on a political solution to the three-island issue was in line with the country's growing ambition to step into regional politics, she added.

"China's continued involvement in the UAE-Iran island dispute signals a shift in its traditional non-interference policy towards the Middle East. This suggests a growing commitment to the region, particularly prioritising the Gulf," she said.

China's relations with both Iran and the UAE are at historic highs, but Beijing's investment and trade with the UAE, including crude oil, have significantly surpassed those with Iran, which has suffered from US sanctions.

Iran has been more active in multilateral platforms largely led by Beijing, including the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and Brics.

This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright © 2024 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

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