According to a document revealed by Wikileaks: A March 2009 meeting in Beijing suggested that China was pressuring Iran behind the scenes a bit more than we might imagine. A Chinese think tanker reported that Chinese officials were “frustrated with the lack of progress on the nuclear issue.” According to an American political officer in Beijing, the “Chinese had warned [Iran] not to take China’s economic interests in Iran for granted.” It also showed China playing some good ol’ leverage by pointing out that “China’s dependence on Iranian energy is decreasing given recent improvements in Sino-Saudi relations.” China is one of the leading investors in Afghanistan. In 2007 it made the largest investment in Afghan history: $3 billion by China Metallurgical to develop the world’s largest untapped copper reserves at Aynak. China is also interested in Afghanistan’s oil, gas, iron and uranium. Many in the United States and Europe want to see China do more in Afghanistan on the military side: perhaps training soldiers or police as a minimum. In June 2011, Ben Blanchard of Reuters wrote, “Russia failed to agree on a 30-year gas supply deal with China in time for signing on Friday because of differences over the price of a deal, which could be worth up to $1 trillion (619 billion pounds). Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Chinese President Hu Jintao had hoped to sign the deal, which would help power Beijing's booming economy and allow Moscow to diversify exports away from Europe, at an investment forum in St Petersburg.” [Source: Ben Blanchard, Reuters, June 17, 2011] In June 2011, Mahmoud Jibril, the leader of Libya’s rebel opposition arrived in Beijing for talks as a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman for the first time described the opposition as “an important political power in Libya.” The meeting with Jibril came after China’s foreign minister met with Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi’s foreign minister. “We are in contact with both parties in Libya, urging the parties to ease conflict in order to facilitate the national and people’s fundamental interests as soon as possible,” the ministry’s spokesman, Hong Lei, said. Jibril is the chairman of the executive board of the Libyan opposition’s National Transitional Council. [Source: Keith Bradsher, New York Times June 21, 2011] 28th June 2011, China welcomed Sudanese leader Omar al-Bashir on a state visit and gave him red-carpet treatment that included a meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao in the Great Hall of the People and the signing of several oil and gas deals. At the time Bashir was wanted by the International Criminal Court on genocide charges for orchestrating atrocities in the Darfur region. In September 2011, AFP reported, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said China will continue to expand its investment in the eurozone but called on Western countries facing a crippling debt crisis to "put their houses in order". This occurred as as Europe's struggling economies were increasingly looking to cash-rich China as a possible rescuer. Wen also urged European Union leaders to reciprocate by according the country full market economy status ahead of schedule. Biding their time
Seriously though, what is the interest in Iran? It cant be nuclear threat because the about to collapse to the Taleban country of Pakistan is infinitely more worrying. now imagiine the Taleban getting hold of Pakistans nuclear weapons
I don't know, all I know is that each time we stick our noses in we increase the risk that some muhammedan lunatic will set off a bomb in the UK. Time to pull out and let them get on with it. Ditto your lot.
It's not a coincidence that our generation, the first to be isolated from any form of real war is the worst off. Wars drive an economy, create jobs and free up houses at a purely economic view. The horrors of war aside, a proper war where two nations collide would probably be good for the country as a whole. If we lose, at least mandarin is according to some, one of the easier languages to learn!
have read a couple of opinion columns on the same subject also did you know Gadaffi was planning to trade his oil in Gold only. Not if america can help it. Decide to trade your oil in anything other than the dollar and expect to die with a knife in your ass
History dictates that the world needs a war - we are heading towards a great depression akin to the 1920's - that lasted 15 years - would have been longer had WW2 not started - at the end of WW2 no depression, no unemployment. Then (bearing in mind it was only 65 years ago) there was 2bn people on the planet - now there are 7bn. This planet needs a war that will wipe out 60% of the population!!
I can tell you by living in China, that isn't ****ing true at all. Korean is easier than Mandarin. Japanese is easier. Arabic is easier. But not Madarin!
Orientalist calptrap. USA still has issues in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. They attack Iran the whole area would be shifted to the extreme end of things. Which will mean more terrorist attacks at home and abroad. If we get involved, and we will, the UK will see a few more 7/7s. But from what I am reading, the most likely event seems to be Israel launches a few missiles, US then either steps in or the Iranians will go get the nuke.
It's not easy, the question becomes how Iran reacts. If the intial attack starts a war, US will step in to back Israel and other interests in the region. If Iran take this move to pull out of the NPT (I think thats the intial) they can say quite clearly to rest of the world that since they are being attacked they will need a 'better' defence or deterrant. So, it isn't in US's hands. IMO I think Iran want to be in a state where they can make a nuke at short notice but not have an actual nuke. This means that they aren't lying when they say their nuclear plans are for peaceful purposes but it also puts them in a state that if they were to be attacked they can pull out of NPT and make a nuke.
I think that the NPT is just a piece of paper to Iran. It's probably just a matter of time before someone in the Middle East, becomes the second nuclear power behind Israel. It would seem from what's been written above, that the US pretty much has it's hands tied on this matter. They are full aware that Israel will probably strike if they feel that Iran is really closing in on the bomb. The other major nations, China and Russia won't want to commit to a ground offencive, so it seems to boil down to Israel taking the lead here. As for the Us taking on Syria, who knows. It does on face value look a bit unrealistic, considering that the US citizenry will just about have had a gut full of the Middle East by now. Votes count.
I don't think Russia or China would ever commit to ground troops but you can bet they will help the 'insurgents' as Russia would feel like it is surrounded with practically American bases all around them and in some ways blocks access to more resources. Then one has to look at China's boarder disputes, the aircraft carrier they are making and US having a base in Australia to see that there is probably a larger game at play here. If things go out of control then we could have a third world war, but that IMO is unlikely. It does seem to rest in the hands of a few countries to what will happen.
There is a huge "game" going on in the China Sea and Asian waters. China is desperate to secure a blue water route to the Middle East. I have some really interesting stuff here somewhere. I'll see if I can hunt it down Sy.
Iran are surrounded by America on all sides, can you blame them for wanting nuclear weapons? The war on Iran began in 2001 when Israel secretly did 9/11
