Negative Backlash Over Chinese Flag Projection on Azadi Square; Tehran Municipality: It Wasn’t Us

Following widespread and largely negative reactions to the projection of the Chinese flag onto Tehran’s Azadi Square, the Tehran Municipality announced on Tuesday that it was “not involved” in the operation, stating that the Rudaki Foundation, affiliated with the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, carried out the project.

According to municipal officials, the request for lighting and projecting the Chinese flag on Azadi Square came from the Iran-China Friendship Association on the occasion of the Chinese New Year, and the Chinese Embassy also cooperated in this regard.

Some social media users, particularly on Twitter, pointed to the timing of the projection—on the eve of February 1st—and, while recalling the 25-year cooperation agreement between Iran and China, described the event as a symbol of Iran becoming a Chinese colony.

Meysam Zamanzadeh, the public relations director of Tehran Municipality’s beautification organization, wrote that since the Azadi Square structure is under the control of the Rudaki Foundation, the projection of the Chinese flag at the “beginning of the Decade of Dawn” was done “at the discretion of this foundation” and that “like everyone else, we watched in astonishment.”

Another user, referring to the “Look to the East” policy that has been emphasized by the Supreme Leader in recent years, wrote that this event demonstrated that “devotion to the East became increasingly apparent and revealed the true nature of the slogan ‘Neither East nor West’ that was hidden.”

Contrary to this group of users, Iran’s government officials welcomed the event. Hossein Amirabdollahian, Iran’s Foreign Minister, posted a message in Chinese on the occasion of the Chinese New Year, using an image of the flag on Azadi Square and writing: “The program of comprehensive cooperation will move forward with redoubled efforts, better and more powerfully.”

Chang Hua, China’s Ambassador to Iran, who attended a ceremony near Azadi Square last night, posted several tweets welcoming the event and, while thanking Iran’s Foreign Minister, used the phrase “friendship forever.”

The signing of the 25-year Iran-China cooperation agreement in April 2021, which was pursued and implemented on the orders of the Supreme Leader, faced widespread criticism both inside and outside Iran and is referred to on social media as the “sale of Iran to China” agreement.

Iran’s government officials announced on December 15th of this year that the implementation phases of this agreement have begun.

The implementation of this agreement comes at a time when in recent months, officials of the Islamic Republic have lacked transparency regarding the “25-year Iran-China cooperation agreement,” refrained from publishing its details, and have not provided clear responses to criticisms and concerns about it.

Cheap sales of financial resources to the Chinese and the expansion of security cooperation between Iran and China, including the launch of a national internet network, have been among the criticisms and concerns that have been repeatedly raised over the past year.

Source: Radio Farda