Sino-Persian relations

Sino-Iranian relations

Iran	China

China-Iran relations (Chinese: 中伊关系, Pinyin: Zhōng-Yī guānxì), or Sino-Iran relations, date back over many centuries. Since ancient times, the Parthians and Sassanids had various contacts with China, and they were connected via the Silk Road, these have since helped developingly shape relations between Beijing and Tehran.

Relations during the Parthian era

The 138-126 BCE travels of Zhang Qian to the West, Mogao Caves, 618-712 CE mural.

The Chinese explorer Zhang Qian, who visited the neighbouring countries of Bactria and Sogdiana in 126 BCE, made the first known Chinese report on Parthia. In his accounts Parthia is named "Ānxī" (Chinese: 安息), a transliteration of "Arsacid", the name of the Parthian dynasty. Zhang Qian clearly identifies Parthia as an advanced urban civilization, which he equates to those of Dayuan (in Ferghana) and Daxia (in Bactria).

"Anxi is situated several thousand li west of the region of the Great Yuezhi (in Transoxonia). The people are settled on the land, cultivating the fields and growing rice and wheat. They also make wine out of grapes. They have walled cities like the people of Dayuan (Ferghana), the region contains several hundred cities of various sizes. The coins of the country are made of silver and bear the face of the king. When the king dies, the currency is immediately changed and new coins issued with the face of his successor. The people keep records by writing on horizontal strips of leather. To the west lies Tiaozi (Mesopotamia) and to the north Yancai and Lixuan (Hyrcania)." (Shiji, 123, Zhang Qian quote, trans. Burton Watson).

Following Zhang Qian's embassy and report, commercial relations between China, Central Asia, and Parthia flourished, as many Chinese missions were sent throughout the 1st century BCE: "The largest of these embassies to foreign states numbered several hundred persons, while even the smaller parties included over 100 members... In the course of one year anywhere from five to six to over ten parties would be sent out." (Shiji, trans. Burton Watson).

The Parthians were apparently very intent on maintaining good relations with China and also sent their own embassies, starting around 110 BC: "When the Han envoy first visited the kingdom of Anxi (Parthia), the king of Anxi dispatched a party of 20,000 horsemen to meet them on the eastern border of the kingdom... When the Han envoys set out again to return to China, the king of Anxi dispatched envoys of his own to accompany them... The emperor was delighted at this." (Shiji, 123, trans. Burton Watson).

In 97 CE the Chinese general Ban Chao went as far west as the Caspian Sea with 70,000 men and established direct military contacts with the Parthian Empire.

Parthians also played a role in the Silk Road transmission of Buddhism from Central Asia to China. An Shih Kao, a Parthian nobleman and Buddhist missionary, went to the Chinese capital Luoyang in 148 CE where he established temples and became the first man to translate Buddhist scriptures into Chinese.

Relations during the Sassanid era

Sassanid influence didn't remain confined to its borders. In this depiction from Qizil, Tarim Basin China, The "Tocharian donors", are dressed in Sassanid style.

Like their predecessors the Parthians, the Sassanid Empire carried out active foreign relations with China, and ambassadors from Persia frequently traveled to China. Chinese documents report on thirteen Sassanid embassies to China. Commercially, land and sea trade with China was important to both the Sassanid and Chinese Empires. Large numbers of Sassanid coins have been found in southern China, confirming maritime trade.

When the Chinese state of Shu Han fell, many of its refugees such as nobles and troops fled west to Sasanian Persia when Shu han fell in 236BC to Cao Wei.

On different occasions Sassanid kings sent their most talented Persian musicians and dancers to the Chinese imperial court. Both empires benefited from trade along the Silk Road, and shared a common interest in preserving and protecting that trade. They cooperated in guarding the trade routes through central Asia, and both built outposts in border areas to keep caravans safe from nomadic tribes and bandits.

Politically, we hear of several Sassanid and Chinese efforts in forging alliances against the common enemy who were the Hephthalites. Upon the encroachment of the nomadic Turkic states in Central Asia, we also see what looks like a collaboration between China and the Sassanid to defuse the Turkic advances. The documents from Mt. Mogh also talk about the presence of a Chinese general in the service of the king of Sogdiana at the time of the Arab invasions.

Following the invasion of Iran by Muslim Arabs, Pirooz, son of Yazdegerd III, escaped along with a few Persian nobles and took refuge in the Chinese imperial court. Both Piroz and his son Narsieh (Chinese neh-shie) were given high titles at the Chinese court. At least in two occasions, last one possibly in 670, Chinese troops were sent with Pirooz in order to restore him to the Sassanid throne with mixed results, one possibly ending up in a short rule of Pirooz in Sistan (Sakestan) from which we have a few remaining numsmatic evidence. Narsieh later attained the position of commander of the Chinese imperial guards and his descendants lived in China as respected princes.

Relations during the Islamic era

After the Islamic conquest of Persia, Persia continued to flourish during the Islamic Golden Age and its relations with China continued. In 751, the Abbasid Caliphate which ruled Persia was in a border conflict with the Tang Dynasty of China for control over the Syr Darya region during the Battle of Talas. The commander of the Abbasid army was Zayid ibn Salih, a Persian, while the commanders of the Tang army were Gao Xianzhi, a Goguryo Korean, alongside Li Siye and Duan Xiushi, both Chinese. After the Abbasids won the battle, there were no more conflicts between China and Persia, and relations had improved after that.

During the Tang Dynasty, some Persian communities had settled in China and were known as Semu, and relations further improved during the Mongol Empire, known as the Yuan Dynasty in China, and the Ming Dynasty. One of the most famous settlers from Persia was Sayyid Ajjal Shams al-Din Omar, who is identified as an ancestor of many Chinese Hui lineages and that of Yunnan's Panthay Hui population. His most famous descendant was Zheng He, who became the Ming dynasty's most famous explorer.

The famous Maragheh observatory in Maragheh, Iran, was also known to have had some Chinese astronomers working there alongside Islamic astronomers, and some Islamic astronomical instruments were also being used by astronomers in China. Iranian art was also partly influenced by Chinese art to an extent.

Relations today

Trade relations

China finds Iran as a permanent source for its exports and growing energy demand. In March 2004, Zhuhai Zhenrong Corporation, a Chinese state-run company, signed a 25-year contract to import 110 million metric tons of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) from Iran. This was followed by another contract between Sinopec and Iran, signed in October of the same year. The deal worth $100 billion, adds an extra 250 million tons of LNG to China's energy supply, extracted from Iran's Yadavaran field over a 25-year period.

In 2001, Iran-China trade volume stood at $3.3 Billion [1], and in 2005, the volume of Iran-China trade hit $US 9.2 billion. [2] China currently holds the second rank among top exporters to Iran (2005) with 8.3% of the total market, after top ranked Germany. China's exports to Iran have particularly seen a rapid growth rate in the past five years, replacing Japan, which held second place. Iran's imports from China rose by 360% between 2000 and 2005. Aside from China's inexpensive products, Iran is also buying more from China for strategic reasons.[3]. Iran’s Deputy Minister of Commerce Mehdi Ghazanfari said trade exchanges between Iran and China will exceed $25 billion in 2008.

Ali Akbar Saheli, Iran's former representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency said that the two countries "mutually complement each other. They have industry and we have energy resources". [4]

Political relations

Iran today continues to align itself politically with the People's Republic of China as the European Union and United States push forward with policies to isolate Iran both politically and economically. Iran has observer status at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and aspires membership to the organization in which China has a leading role.

In July 2004, Iranian parliamentary speaker Gholam Ali Haddad-Adel stressed China's support for the Iranian nuclear programs. [5] China's Foreign Minister, Li Zhaoxing also said that his country opposes Iran being referred to United Nations Security Council over its nuclear program, and claimed that the Iranian government had a very positive attitude in its cooperation with the IAEA. [6]

See also

• Foreign relations of imperial China
• Foreign relations of the People's Republic of China
• Foreign relations of Iran
• Shanghai Cooperation Organization
• An Shihkao
• Iran-Russia relations
• US-Iran relations
• Pirooz

Further reading

• John W. Garver. China And Iran: Ancient Partners in a Post-imperial World. 2006. ISBN 029598631X
• "Persian language in Xinjiang" (زبان فارسی در سین کیانگ). Zamir Sa'dollah Zadeh (دکتر ضمیر سعدالله زاد ه). Nameh-i Iran (نامه ایران) V.1. Editor: Hamid Yazdan Parast (حمید یزدان پرست). ISBN 964-423-572-X Perry-Castañeda Library collection under DS 266 N336 2005.
• John Keefer Douglas, Matthew B. Nelson, and Kevin Schwartz; “Fueling the Dragon’s Flame: How China’s Energy Demands Affect its Relationships in the Middle East.” United States-China Economic and Security Review Commission, October 2006. [7]
• Chris Zambelis and Brandon Gentry, "China Through Arab Eyes: American Influence in the Middle East," Parameters, Vol. XXXVIII, No. 1, Spring 2008, pp. 60-72. [8]

External links

Historical

• "Iran in Central Asia"
• The Sassanids in China
• For more on Iranian-Chinese relations in history see E.I. p.424-460.

Modern

• "Iran's New Alliance With China Could Cost U.S. Leverage". By Robin Wright, Washington Post Staff Writer, Wednesday, November 17, 2004; Page A21 [9] [10]
• Chinese Arms Transfers to Iran
• Photos of Jiang Zemin at Persepolis