Comparative Analysis of China's Energy Geopolitics in the Persian Gulf and Central Asia; With an Eye on Iran’s Position

China, as a rising power, is an important market for fossil fuels. Meantime, the supply of fossil fuels depends on the geopolitical position of the exporting countries. The Persian Gulf and Central Asia are rich regions from an energy perspective. These regions have appropriate locations for supplying the Chinese market. Iran is located between the Persian Gulf and Central Asia. In this article, we try to compare the importance of the Persian Gulf and Central Asia and assess the Iranian position in this context.  Based on the security complex theory, we attempt to answer the following questions: What is the position of the Persian Gulf and Central Asia in China's geopolitics of energy? What is Iran’s role as a sub-system of these areas in China's energy geopolitics?
China tries to diversify its energy suppliers. However, the land secure route (Central Asia) is more advantageous than the dangerous maritime route (Persian Gulf). Therefore, Iran, as a country that links these two regions, has the  potential to act as a link between the two regions, and as such increase China’s energy security.