The New Silk Road as China’s Foreign Policy Strategy and Iran

Today, the people's republic of china is one of the rising powers that seeks to enhance its power and play a unique part in the international system by basing its foreign policy on economic development. in this direction, it has implemented several plans for realizing this objective in the world’s political geography. the new silk road plan as china's foreign policy strategy was announced in fall 2013 when xi jinping became president. significant roles have been contemplated for countries such as iran in the plan, in china's political and economic objectives. this article addresses the question on the opportunities and threats of the new silk road as china's foreign policy strategy for iran. drawing upon a descriptive-explanatory research method, the authors suggest that the initiative might entail implications for iran as it contemplates a significant role for the country. the research findings demonstrate that the initiative would unveil opportunities including deepening iran-china relations, building capacity for iran's regional superiority, protection and enhancement of national security and domestic stability, and exploitation of the opportunity to interact with the east and the west simultaneously. it would also result in such threats as chinese hegemony on iran's geoeconomy, growing securitization of iran in u.s. policy-making, and encouragement of rivalry with geopolitically significant rivals like russia, india and the united states, as well as expansion of chinese ties with arabs particularly saudi arabia.