Saudi Arabia and Iran buried the hatchet in Beijing on March 10 and announced resuming diplomatic ties. The move was hailed as China’s latest diplomatic breakthrough that could herald a new era in the Middle East. The Hub with Wang Guan talks to Mohammad Marandi, political analyst and professor at the University of Tehran, who was in Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s delegation in Beijing, to give an insider’s view of how this crucial pact came about and how Chinese President Xi Jinping facilitated the rapprochement.
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This story is an English language news item from CGTN. CGTN is a Chinese state-funded broadcaster.
Beijing, China’s sprawling capital, has history stretching back 3 millennia. Yet it’s known as much for modern architecture as its ancient sites such as the grand Forbidden City complex, the imperial palace during the Ming and Qing dynasties.
China is the third largest country in the world by area and the largest country in the world by population. Properly known as the People’s Republic of China, the political territory of the country includes Tibet and Hong Kong. The capital is Beijing.
Iran, also called Persia, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, is a country in Western Asia. Its central location in Eurasia and proximity to the Strait of Hormuz give it significant geostrategic importance. Tehran is the capital and largest city.
Iran is home to one of the world’s oldest civilizations, beginning with the formation of the Elamite kingdoms in the fourth millennium BC. The Iranian Revolution established the current Islamic Republic in 1979.
Iran’s political system combines elements of a presidential democracy and an Islamic theocracy. Iran is a founding member of the UN, ECO, OIC, and OPEC. It is a major regional and middle power and has large reserves of fossil fuels — including the world’s largest natural gas supply and the third largest proven oil reserves.
The country’s rich cultural legacy is reflected in part by its 22 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Historically a multi-ethnic country, Iran remains a pluralistic society comprising numerous ethnic, linguistic, and religious groups, the largest being Persians, Azeris, Kurds, Mazandaranis and Lurs.
Xi Jinping has been the President of China since 2013 and General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and Chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) since 2012.