Is China ‘winning’ the Iran war?

中国是否在伊朗战争中“取胜”?

The Global Story

2026-04-28

27 分钟
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As the US-Israel war with Iran reaches a diplomatic stalemate - one idea seems to be taking hold: that China is the real winner. Some have argued that the US’s biggest rival is quietly boosting its international standing, leverage and reputation as a reliable partner. Yet beneath the surface the economic situation in China looks far less triumphant. We speak to the BBC China Correspondent Laura Bicker who has been reporting from inside China’s factories and trading hubs to explore whether the potential political gains China may be accruing from the Iran war are being offset by the acute economic cost - and what this means for China’s long-term geopolitical ambitions. Producers: Aron Keller and Sam Chantarasak Executive producer: China Collins Digital producer: Matt Pintus Mix: Travis Evans Senior news editor: China Collins Photo: Former Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, February 14, 2023. Credit: WANA/Reuters
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  • The other day, I got a newsletter from Foreign Affairs magazine.

  • The subject read, the Iran war is a win for China.

  • Provocative, sure, but it's a narrative I keep hearing.

  • The cover of The Economist magazine earlier this month featured a photo of China's leader Xi Jinping with the headline,

  • never interrupt your enemy when he 's making a mistake.

  • As the war in Iran grinds on, one big idea we keep hearing is that somehow the real winner in this all is China.

  • That the U.S.'s main rival is quietly boosting its diplomatic and military standing as America gets

  • bogged down in yet another Middle East war.

  • But is that really the full story?