China's crucial role in the war in Iran

With the Middle East on fire, the entire world is in crisis.

Every country is feeling the heat of economic and military uncertainty.

Superpower China finds itself in a particularly delicate situation.

China's Ambassador, Xiao Qian wants to remind Australians that China's dominance will not diminish any time soon. 

It's one of Iran's strategic partners, yet knows that actively supporting the Tehran regime is a fraught proposition.

On the upside for China though, the war could be an opportunity too good to ignore; the chance, while attention is focused elsewhere, for Beijing to take Taiwan and rule the Indo-Pacific.

Australia and China's economic trade is back on track after a breakdown due to COVID-19. 

With much to discuss, China's man in Canberra, Ambassador Xiao Qian invited Amelia Adams to the embassy for a rare, and at times robust, interview.

Despite China's relationship with Iran, Xiao confirmed that China has not been involved in the military actions occurring in the Middle East.

"We are asking for immediate stop of the war of the military actions and come back to the table for negotiations between relevant party to solve their problems and solve their disputes through peaceful means," he told 60 Minutes.

With America preoccupied in the Middle East, and indeed most of the world distracted with what's happening there, some fear China may see that as an opportunity to take Taiwan.

"China's position on the question on Taiwan has been clear, consistent. There's only one China, and Taiwan's part of China. Taiwan is a province of China," Xiao said.

" ... It's a domestic issue, not be, not to be involved, not to be intervened by, by other countries. 

" ... So solving the Taiwan question is an issue to be made, a decision to be decided by the Chinese people."

The world according to China doesn't end with Taiwan.

Just this month a Chinese military helicopter flew dangerously close to an Australian Seahawk over the Yellow Sea.

But according to Beijing, it's another "distortion of the facts" and Australia, not China, is the aggressor, endangering security in the region.

"The message was sending was that the Chinese, Chinese army, Chinese Navy is now capable of protecting, Chinese, our own national interest, wherever it is, and to contribute to world peace and its stability," Xiao said.

" ... It had nothing to do with China-Australia relationship."

Going forward, Xiao hopes suspicions can be set aside.

He wants our two countries to prosper through trade, which is back on track after a bruising economic war, sparked by the former Coalition government questioning the origins of COVID-19, in 2020.

"There are unhappy things that happened, but China was not the one who fired the first shot," Xiao said.

"When we talk about the trade embargo or sanctions, I do not accept as a simple description of sanctions from the Chinese side."

Despite our countries' differing perspectives, there's no doubt this relationship is critical to both nations.

But to China, it comes with conditions.

"It's just like, you know, between husband and wife, you can, you can, you can quarrel at home but not in the downtown in the streets," Xiao said.

"If a couple quarrel publicly, there's going to change the nature of the marriage." 

Watch the full episode of 60 Minutes on 9Now.