The 25-year Agreement with China is Non-Transparent, against the National Interest and must be Rejected and Condemned!

The 25-year Agreement with China is Non-Transparent, against the National Interest and must be Rejected and Condemned!

The content and status of the 25-year cooperation document between the Islamic Republic (IR) and the Chinese government is shrouded in mystery. Neither the IR has announced the terms of its agreement with the Chinese government, nor has the Chinese government provided any evidence. While the director of the Global Studies Program of the Center for Strategic Studies of the President Office reports that the document has been ratified, what is available to the public, through unofficial channels, is the only text published by the Iranian Foreign Ministry a few years ago. This text is more like a long list of proposals for investment in various fields than a legal document for a strategic partnership between the two countries.

In response to questions about agreements with the Chinese government, while refusing to disclose the details of the agreement in parliament and referring the protesting members of the parliament to the approval of the project by the "Supreme Leader", the Foreign Minister of the IR did talk about a change in the balance of power in not so distant outlook. He spoke about China's emergence as a future superpower and explained that this strategic agreement was in line with the IR's policy of "Look to the East". A vision that still sees the world as bipolar, and desperate due to political and economic pressure from the United States, intends to unilaterally rely on a "possible" super power in the future. Extremism toward the "East" is the inevitable consequence of extremism in blind hostility with the "West."

There is no doubt that the economy, politics and culture of nations in today's world are more intertwined than ever. It is difficult to grow economically and improve the position of countries without establishing bilateral relations and cooperation between countries. The conclusion of bilateral agreements and the development of economic, political and cultural cooperation are among the necessities for the growth of human societies in today's conditions, and national interests can be ensured through joint interaction and bilateral relation between countries. Thus, bilateral or multilateral negotiations, regulation of protocols, and conclusion of agreements that serve national interests of the parties are essential to relations between states. But the prerequisite for any major agreement, such as the IR's 25-year agreement with the Chinese government in the first place, is the transparency of the negotiations, the disclosure of the terms of the agreement, and the possibility of criticizing possible distortions before approval.

On the one hand, the Islamic Republic is facing many crises in the domestic political, economic, and social spheres, has gone through widespread protests in 2017 and 2019, and is living with the nightmare of wider protests by the hungry. On the other hand, it is under a full-scale economic and political siege by the United States (US), and no country, not even China, is willing to ignore the restrictions imposed by the US government sanctions and risk its economic interests. Announcing the conclusion of a 25-year strategic agreement with China, for whatever reason, if it is a political bluff to signal Trump and Europe, is a sign of the IR's inevitable obedience out of desperation to auction national wealth resources and the country's future and buying time for survival.

Uproarious announcement of a multi-hundred billion dollar investment deal, with silence about the nature of this long-term partnership, when the Chinese government cannot even keep its promises to invest billions of dollars in Iran's oil and gas industry, can only be done by those who turn a blind eye to the realities and out of despair and helplessness and drowning in their enemy-driven illusions, hope for a miracle in the "East". It can only be done by those who, in the dark solitude of secret negotiations, plan for the future of the country for the next 25 years and defer to a deal that could have painful consequences for the country's future.

The hidden view and policy behind the "Document of Cooperation…." is the same flawed and catastrophic view toward the world and the exporting of the Islamic revolution instead of securing the national interests of the Iranian people. A view that over the past forty years has sacrificed the country's vital resources to its expansionist policies and melancholy and ideological rivalries. A view that has had nothing but economic misery for the people, and today it is thinking of selling the future of the country to its imaginary friendly country in order to save its broken ruling ship.

The Left Party of Iran (People’s Fadaian) believes that concluding agreements that allows other nations to interfere in the fate of our country and against the national will of the Iranian people must be rejected and condemned. If this agreement were in favor of the Iranian people, there would be no reason to keep its details secret. We believe that the provisions of this document should be made public, talks should be transparent, parties should have equal conditions in the negotiations and there should be more competition for more options to choose from. Without transparency in negotiations to conclude macroeconomic and political agreements, the IR will not be able to secure the country's national interests. If, as stated in the text, the IR wants to leave the Chinese government and its investment companies’ hands open in all areas mentioned in the cooperation document, in fact it intends to let another country take over most of our country's major areas in the next 25 years. Our country needs balanced and bilateral relations with all countries of the world, and this is incompatible with the internecine policies of the IR.

Political-Executive Board of the Left Party of Iran (People’s Fadaian)

July 10, 2020