Published June 13th, 2009 by Future Atlas
Iran’s China Option
Though Iran appears to be headed for more years with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as president, columnist Roger Cohen recently noted a potential long-term path for the nation.
Former president and powerful establishment figure Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani “believes in a China option for Iran: a historic rapprochement with the United States that will at the same time preserve a modified regime.”
This could either mean simply less militancy abroad, which would greatly reduce external pressure on the country, or a the full Chinese option: greatly reducing the trappings of Islamic theocracy while maintaining control of key aspects of power. The analogy is not precise, however, as Iran is much more democratic than China, and indeed more democratic than most states in the Middle East, US allies included.
(Flag courtesy State Dept.)