William Hawkins has an excellent article at NRO, mainly about the growing concurrence of interests between China and Iran. He recommends exerting pressure on China to curb its growing web of strategic, technological and business ties with the regime of the mad mullahs.

It is hard for me to imagine what sort of pressure would dislodge the Chinese from such a natural alliance on their part. They need to tap the oil. It is within pipeline distance. Iran is antagonistic with the United States, which China seeks to displace from its unipolar perch. Even with a prickly client like Iran, China will be able to come to mutually beneficial relationship.

Economic or trade pressure would be a very expensive weapon to use. And it may not work.

I fear we are left with a messy geo—political situation, with a would—be rival making the best of our problems with Iran.

Thomas Lifson   1 31 06