The spirit of Sino-Iranian relations: civilization and power -- The PRC kingdom of iran relationship, 1971-78 -- Revolutionary Iran and postrevolutionary China, 1979-88 -- Sino-Iranian partnership and post-cold war U.S. unipolar preeminence, 1989-2004 -- The Xinjiang factor in PRC-IRI relations -- China's assistance to Iran's nuclear programs -- China and Iran's military development efforts -- China-Iran cooperation and the United States -- TheSino-Iranian energy-economic relationship -- Patterns of Sino-Iranian relations.