Iran as China’s Western Buffer

Chinese strategic thinkers view Iran not just as a regional actor but as the outermost physical shield for China’s western frontier, linked through the Zagros–Hindu Kush–Himalaya mountain chain; threats to Iranian territorial integrity or political alignment are therefore read in Beijing as potential threats to China’s own strategic depth. Revisiting Zhang Wenmu’s 2013 framing in light of recent US–Israeli strikes highlights how external attacks on Iran can be interpreted by China through a security‑buffer lens rather than solely as Middle East turbulence. — If Beijing treats Iran as a security buffer, Western strikes or instability there can reshape Chinese threat perceptions, influence China–Iran ties, and affect regional alignment — with implications for great‑power competition and crisis management.