“Authoritarian Axis”—a powerful phrase is now making a return as global concerns rise.
Andrea Kendall-Taylor, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) think tank, described China, Russia, and Iran as the new “Authoritarian Axis.”
On the surface, China and Iran appear unlikely allies. The Chinese Communist Party pushes for an atheist society, while Iran is a strictly Islamic country.
But they have a common enemy—the United States. What’s more, China needs Iranian oil.
Ms. Kendall-Taylor shed light on what led to the partnership and warned of a magnified effect.
“By working together, the challenges they pose collectively add up to be more than the sum of their parts in any one individual challenge if they were working on their own,” Ms. Kendall-Taylor said.
The latest milestone in their friendship stretches back to 2021 when China and Iran signed a “strategic partnership” agreement. The 25-year deal included both economic and military cooperation.
It’s also part of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative—a massive infrastructure project believed to spread Beijing’s influence outside its borders.