Trouble seems to be brewing between China and Iran according to statements made by Iran’s Deputy Petroleum Minister Abbas She’ri-Moqaddam, quoted by Press TV.

He said that China insists that too much financing be of Chinese origin, placing limits on the use of local industries and “hence, we prefer Japanese, European and American investors”.

In the case of the petrochemical industry She’ri-Moqaddam said there were companies from Germany, France, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, South Korea, Japan and even the US that were “impatiently awaiting the remaining stages of the nuclear accord to be implemented in order to enter Iran for investment.”

These troubles are all the more amazing once your bear in mind the claims made by the Jerusalem Post namely, that China’s preference for Iranian oil is driven by strategic considerations. Citing the Taiwanese press, China is supposedly meant to provide Iran with 24 fighter jets in exchange for access to Iranian oil fields for the next 20 years.