China’s ice-cold calculus over Iran

The Economist: All of this makes for an unsentimental China. It is not about to abandon Iran as a partner. But it may not much care whether the clerics remain in charge or whether some other constellation of leaders, perhaps drawn from the revolutionary guards, takes over. What China cares most about is its interests in the Middle East, from stable energy prices to a safe environment for investors. If American actions somehow yield an Iranian government that really has foresworn nuclear weapons, so much the better. “Whatever happens, there is much the Iranian regime must reflect on and improve,” says Ding Long of Shanghai International Studies University…