On the ground in Iran, with Iranian people, 2025
".................The only one who has gained from US sanctions on Iran is China............(Iranian People 2025)"
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THE SHAHNAMEH (a lesson in)
“………………...Mehran-Setad’s quick mind saw that the [Chinese] emperor and empress were being far from honest. The young woman covered her eyes with her hands and veil, and this increased Mehran-Setad’s anger at their DUPLICITY ” (the Chinese duplicity)………………………….”
(Nushin-Raven Sends Mehran-Setad to See the Emperor of China’s Daughter; pages 802 – 804)
The Reign of Kesra Nushin-Ravan (pages 793 – 824).
- Nushin-Raven Sends Mehran-Setad to See the Emperor of China; pages 802 – 804: The Emperor of China offered his daughter in marriage to King Kesra. And so King Kesra chooses Mehran-Setad to go to China and ascertain what the Chinese had offered: “………….Do not let a well made-up face or splendid clothes or fine jewelry deceive you……………..”.
- But the Chinese emperor, indeed, decides to back from his words and trick Mehran-Setad: “…………….I have four other daughters, born from servant girls, I will give him one of them and that will save me both from war with him and from gossip. The Chinese empress told him: No one in the world is as cunning as you are!…………..”
- The Chinese Emperor had filled with luxury the illegitimate daughters and had left the legitimate one without crown and without fine adornments. Mehran-Setad demanded to inspect the rooms and discovers the fake scheme of the Chinese: “………….Mehran-Setad’s quick mind saw that the [Chinese] emperor and empress were being far from honest. The young woman covered her eyes with her hands and veil, and this increased Mehran-Setad’s anger at their DUPLICITY ” (the Chinese duplicity)………………………….”.
The Shahnameh is an equivalent to the Iliad for the Greeks and the Mahabharata for the Indians (Although the Shahnameh contains more contacts with other cultures around the land of Iran): an Ancient Epic, stories of which predate its author, Abolqasem Ferdowsi, for many of those tales belong to the Persian oral tradition much before the Islamic conquest. And I do agree with Prof. Dabashi that the Shahnameh is a masterpiece of World Literature.
My jaw dropped to see how in this story alone there are already all those cultural patterns & logic of the Chinese modus operandi. Accurately known, recognized and described by the ancient cultures. The tendency to not deliver what it has offered, and to give cheaply. The tendency to disguise and to produce imitations. To produce only a superficially authenticated looking offers. And ultimately to break contracts (word at that time). Because had the marriage been consumed with the illegitimate daughter, the Chinese would have canceled the alliance, for the the only validity of it was a marriage to a legitimate daughter. Centuries after this story, it was precisely what the Chinese did during the opium wars: they would send a mandarin to negotiate , although such person did not have the authority to negotiate, then they would cancel such negotiations because the said mandarin did not have the authority to grant any concessions. And so, it was the reason why the bombardment to Nanjing walls started that day; for the Chinese had been delaying the arrival of the right official.
How so fascinating to have found this story in the Shahnameh just right before my trip to Iran.
Iran 2025
Note: The names of Iranian people, of places on relation to people, are not mentioned for the safeguarding of them.
During our time in Iran I abstained myself from keeping an online or digital written diary, in case our devices or USBs could be checked. After we were once stopped by the Iranian secret police for taking photos of something which we did not know was forbidden, I deleted many photos which did not have any touristic relevance. I simply felt that nothing could be ascertained as to what they categorize as “sensitive”, illegal or offensive. We preferred to be cautious, but the feeling that we could often be perceived as “enemies” (while being simply tourists) was strong. Perhaps it was because during that time a British couple were arrested under the charges of spying, although they were systematically interviewing Iranian people; collecting the information and sending it to some academic institutions. As someone who has been to Iran, I would say that that was too much on the part of the British couple. Nevertheless, several times I was stopped by unknown persons on the street and metro, asking me: country, country? what are you doing in Iran?
At Persepolis, an unknown man wearing a black Kufi suddenly stopped me with the same questions, and he even asked to take a photo of me with my wife, “together” he demanded. The same procedure as how the Iranian secret police did the day they stopped us, but this time was a “civilian”. These incidents could have been caused by racialist motives, for everyone thought I was Iranian, and they obsessively maintained so (expanded on my next post about the Pan-Persian tendency we found there). As a foreigner one must indeed be careful in Iran.
“……………..The only one who has gained from US sanctions on Iran is China…………”.
One of the first comments we were told by Iranians on our very first morning in Iran, during our long pleasant breakfast conversation at the hotel in Tehran with an oil engineer coming from the south of Iran to Tehran; a businessman from the north of Iran; an artist, an actor and some others, (Btw, do not miss that delicious Tahini and maple syrup mix with your Sangak bread: نان سنگک; most recommended).
A certainty and comment which Iranians express with no little amount of outrage, indignity and disdain. Not because the Chinese products (and presence) are one more alternatives in the Iranian market (as in many other societies). But because Iranian people see and feel the Chinese presence as being forced upon the Iranian people, and as harmful and detrimental to Iranian economy, culture and society. Perceived as a predatory, opportunistic policy which profits from the Iranian deep economic crisis and surreal inflation (80,000 rials for 1 USD when we arrived; 93,000 to 1, after a couple of weeks. The real exchange is on Iranian soil, not on Internet), without any benefits for the Iranian people, but only for China. Even the daily, systematic power suspension in main Iranian cities are seen outrageously suspicious by Iranians, as Iran is a country with vast and endless energetic resources, where each citizen has a monthly gasoline quota; where to energize a house with heating, electricity, etc costs only around USD 10 to 15 a month; bottled water could, in some cases, be more expensive than water. And still, there are daily power suspension in major cities.
Concretely: As Iran cannot sell their oil in the Global market, China buys the Iranian oil at an extremely low price, profiting from the Iranian situation (provoked by US sanctions). In return, Iran must acquire and allow Chinese products of obvious and excessive low quality to invade the Iranian markets. Chinese counterfeit is the rule in Iran, and they compose the majority of supply in Iranian department stores and shops.
As Iran has been isolated by US sanctions and left at the “aid” and alliance of China, Iran represents a clear example of how a society becomes (and could become) once China enters and is given certain amount of “freedom”: lowering not only prices and quality but all standards of a society. These processes can be seen in a variety of countries in a diversity of ways: even in Hong Kong, where shops, restaurants and businesses have been endemically closing (hundreds of thousand of HK-ers fleeing), is replaced with low quality supply from China and masses of counterfeit are now being sold in Sham Shui Po; prostitution on the streets even during the day in Pok Fu Lam, and Central during the nights. Honduras, where since China got the representation by sending a porn-star (not even a diplomat), its products are being sold at a lower price to China than during times when it was Taiwan who bought them. The entire shrimp industry is also suffering, not “developing” under China’s influence.
Chinese Cars
- “I prefer to keep repairing my Kia Joy from the 90s than to buy a Chinese car”, after some months something starts failing. (Tehran, Iranian is his 20’s)
- “My father thought that the new and modern-looking Chinese cars were good options and bought one; after eight months he got rid of it” (North of Iran, Iranian business man in his 50’s)
In context: Iran is a place where cars seem to have got stuck in time, in the 90’s most of all, but still many from the 80’s. And what fascinates the visiting eye the most is the sea of white cars around. I even asked our friend in Shiraz, jokingly: “how can you find your car if most of all of them, on the line, are white?”
The United States’ 2018 sanctions prohibits the majority of world’s car producers to sell cars to Iran. And many of the new Peugeot ones which can be seen around Iran ( and of which there are aplenty) are not authorized by Peugeot. After Peugeot yielded to US sanctions on Iran in 2018, the production was halted; but not for Iranians, they continued producing Peugeot, most of all the 207 which is extremely popular among the young people in Iran (black colour nowadays). So, the entire landscape of Iran’s streets is dominated by old cars. They actually cause the majority of pollution in the streets, as old engines issue a highly toxic smoke and heat. In such a context, a Lexus 4WD would be sight to behold, and there are some indeed. But one needs a very close inspection to reassure that what one is seeing is a Lexus or Nissan Infiniti and not a Chinese car (with names and models which one cannot even see in China itself)
- On the ground: No single Iranian whom I jokingly asked about the Chinese cars during our Snapp rides around Tehran, Tabriz, Yazd, Shiraz, Kerman, Isfahan, and even tourist guides to the deserts and mountains, had a good word about The Chinese cars; mistrust and abundant bitter despise. From PHD University professor and airport officials who are forced to be Snapp (Uber) drivers after work, for economically compensating the monthly income due to the deep economic crisis, to average university students and teachers, they seem to prefer their own good sturdy Iranian cars: Saina most of all; and Japanese cars, which they hold in very high esteem.
I used to ask the Snapp drivers about the Chinese cars when we passed any advertisement of Chinese cars next to the road. Their reaction never failed to be same.
The fact of the matter is, and to put it briefly, China has been invading the Iranian market with low-quality cars. Cars which one would not even see in China, Iranians even doubt if China is not simply experimenting with them, sending them some sort of experimental models. Iranians in their desperation from the economic situation and their isolation from the world have many theories about anything.
So, conceivably, it may not be that the cars in themselves which produce such a general discontent. Adding to the fact that the offer of new cars is dominated by Chinese cars (which they claim to always malfunction) and that there is no other options as in any other markets; it may well be exacerbated by the fact that Iranians know that the Chinese presence and activities in Iran are not based on reciprocal utilities and mutual benefits, but one of opportunistic motives and of dumping into Iranian markets tons of low quality stuff of all kinds, which are dominating the Iranian markets. It is a condition which Iranians are not historically used to. Iranians pose great value on artistic things of high-end, hand-made quality, as historically has been in their long tradition.
The Chinese Presence.
- “Your country is at war, you should give us a discount” (A Chinese tourist to the owner of a Traditional House, Shiraz)
As any Iranian knows, many things are illegal and forbidden in Iran, alcohol is one of those; but everything can be found. Many banned American products can be found behind the display, namely: a phone shop would not display the iphones, but that is all; just go behind where the storage room is and you can get many things. The question might well be, who are the favoured (or not caught) ones for selling them. But that is a different topic. In one of those parties that Iranians youngsters like to organise when parents are away from home, we were telling our friends that there were several Chinese in Tehran hostels and hotels who stayed there for weeks, if not longer, for every time we passed through Tehran from our trips, the same ones were still there – not going out to do sightseeing, neither interacting with other tourists, nothing.
Iranian people and mostly the youth, who have long and eagerly desired a change in their society, have a great variety of theories about that, and about many other social phenomena, which sometimes reach a point of conspiratorial and the illusory. However what this actually reflects is the deep discontent they feel for, in this instance, the Chinese activities in Iran. Contrary to what Western people think about Iranians, people in Iran express their opinion: mostly with foreigners, but mainly among circle of people who they already know. And so, some Iranians do not even conceive a USA vs China opposition in the Global Stage. Some even affirm that China’s predatory activity in Iran, profiting from Iranians situation is a USA – China conspiracy agreement.
From my previous post about the historical junctures in which The United States Policies made communism great, while at the same time supposedly eliminating communist guerrillas in the Global South and supporting genocides through CIA operations in Latin America; and how the Monroe Doctrine in its XX century version has made China great, helping them expand in Latin America (Panama Canal is only a product of it), as it accurately details the China’s Communist Party Modus Operandi pattern since they seized power in Modern China. And actually it is how Mao and the CCP seized power in China. Right in front of the noses of naively-fooled Americans (fooled by the same American journalists who covered WWII; nowadays are their businessmen and politicians).
The Hyena Strategy is the logic and principle of the Modern Chinese in relation to their foreign relationships, embedded already in Mao’s approach to the Japanese invasion, and which simply reflects an intrinsic Chinese tradition and existential state manifested in the obvious need to follow (a model which is authority and model; love-hate relationships), which is actually a core characteristic of the Chinese culture / society/ tradition, for it is the result of the Confucian tradition. And which is in more detail in my fist post “Panama Canal and China’s Hyena Strategy” (I should elaborate more on it, I think), and could be summarized as:
“Allow Imperial Japan to take as much of China as they could; and to go behind the enemy lines taking the left overs which Imperial Japan could not control; and to seize it as for the CCP. Mao knew that the Japanese could not control all of China, only the main cities. He would enlarge his territory with such leftovers”.
Already present are those core characteristics:
Clinging to a big power: Soviet Russia and Imperial Japan.
Cowardly hiding behind the deeds of them, pointing out their vices, while China copy and paste them collecting the leftovers; but cowardly covering behind the model.
Tried to usurp and overtake that model clung to. Including using the “leftovers” China collects; as when China tried to use Poland and Hungary when Russia quenched the uprising in those countries during the 50’s, in order to usurp Russia’s leadership of the Soviet bloc.
Well, the fact of the matter with China nowadays is: our world does not need another United States and even less a cheap imitation of it; as it needs a deeper bending of the facts and realities (not only economic and political); conceivably, a new apparatus of knowledge including epistemological, historical and even methodological, as China existentially needs a Chinese reality to assimilate the world. What it ultimately means is to make the entire world understandable for China; and not China adapting, adding or contributing to what other cultures have already set in a collective effort. Impossible, as it has never happened in three thousand years of Chinese history, and it is the reason why SECLUSION is an intrinsic existential, core tendency of China in the world. And it implies that what China needs is an entire world with Chinese characteristics in order for China to share with the world. Whilst cowardly hiding behind Western deeds of colonialism, and while even the Catholics adapted their set of beliefs and imageries to local realities as seen in a diversity of black Jesus and Madonnas, China needs to make those other realities Chinese or with Chinese characteristics in order not to know something different but to make it recognizable, and so then they could share with others. But then it is not the others anymore, but only something recognizable for Chinese and which then, by cultural impulse, is inserted in a hierarchical world vision: a Confucian vision by which they need to see the world in a vertical way, a vertical line of authority (including racial), which sometimes has resulted in that long millennium practice of bullying neighbors or appropriation of heritages by some sacred ancestral right. Not even as the West did (which already has been destructive enough): through techniques of assimilation of the native, customary laws which mimic the local tradition, or other ways of “not alienating the local”, but through direct Chinese imposition of their scheme and vision (by logical extension, prices, in the economic realm) whilst cowardly covering behind Western colonial deeds. Here it brings us back to the first sentence of this paragraph: the world does not need another West, and even less a cheap imitation of it.
Hado 
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