Sino-Iranian relations (1979-1992): Surviving in the international system

This thesis analyses the relations between the Peoples Republic of China and the Islamic Republic of Iran. Not long after the victory of the Revolution in Iran, the new government began to strengthen its relations with Beijing. Without doubt the desire for stronger ties was very much mutual, since China has been competing with the world powers for more influence in the Persian Gulf region. This study tries to explain the international politics which was responsible for shaping the Sino-Iranian relationship from 1980 to 1992.;Therefore this thesis offers a good case study for testing the realist approach in international relations by looking at the concepts such as alignment and balance of power. Another importance of this work is to investigate the behavior of the so called pariah or the rogue states since Iran and sometimes China has been labeled as one mainly by the United States. The aim is to see whether a "pariah's" actions are different than any other state whose actions are considered rational by the realists. The result of this study proves that "pariahs" or "rogues" are merely titles given to states that do not adhere to the international status quo imposed by the superpowers. Thus the rationale behind the courtship between the Islamic Republic and PRC is based on the context of balance of power introduced by the realists.