Rongzhuo-Zahedan Axis

Fazad Akbari (L) with Yuan Xiannian (R) in January 2020.

The Rongzhuo-Zahedan Axis is an unofficial term for the political, diplomatic, cultural, economic, military and historical relations between the Union of Zorasani Irfanic Republics (and its predecessor state the Union of Khazestan and Pardaran) and the Auspicious Republic of Xiaodong, which has been used to different degrees in different times in history. Although both Zorasan and Xiaodong have close relationships with many other nations, the level of cooperation between them in economic activity, trade and commerce, military planning and cooperation, commercial and military technology, and intelligence sharing has been described as "unparalleled" among regional powers. The two nations have been close allies since the mid-20th century, with their relationship being seen as underpinning both the Rongzhuo Strategic Protocol Organisation and the International Forum for Developing States.

Both nations are considered to be ideologically aligned, with their state doctrines of Sattarism and National Principlism having been considered to have mutually reinforced each other. Both nations are considered to promote nationalism, authoritarianism or guided democracy, anti-colonialism, militiarism and religious politics (with Irfan and Zohism respectively).

Close relations between state leaders has also been noted; Ali Sayyad Gharazi and Chen Xuechang, Ekrem Dalan and Han Guanzheng and Farzad Akbari and Yuan Xiannian have been noted to have especially cordial relations. Some leaders have denied the Rongzhuo-Zahedan Axis as special; under State Chairman Sun Yuting for example Xiaodong refused to come to the aid of its ally in the Irvadistan War, whilst tensions increased following 2005 when the new government of Hamid Alizadeh was frustrated by Jiang Zhongyu's actions regarding Zorasan's Chanwan insurgency. Nevertheless most commentators state that since the early 2010's the relationship between Xiaodong and Zorasan has been the closest its been since the 1990's.

Comparison

	Zorasan	Xiaodong
Coat of Arms
Flag
Population	203,112,587	553,746,000
Area	4,692,920 km21,811,950 sq mi	6,898,573 km2 2,663,554 sq mi
Capital city	Zahedan	Rongzhuo
Largest city	Zahedan – 18,557,230	Rongzhuo – 18,620,425
Government	Federal Sattarist parliamentary republic	Unitary National Principlist semi-presidential repubic
First leader	Mahrdad Ali Sattari	Lu Keqian
Governing body	Central Command Council	State Presidium
Current head of state	State President Vahid Isfandiar	State Chairman Yuan Xiannian
Current head of government	First Minister Farzad Akbari	Premier Xi Yao-tong
Governing political party	True Way	Society for Restoring Benevolence
Official languages	Pardarian Rahelian	Xiaodongese
Main religions	91.72% Irfan 3.89% Badi 3.02% Sotirianity 0.66% Yazidism 0.40% Druze 0.31% Atudism	62.4% Zohism 7.3% Salvationist Sects 6.1% Chanwan Shamanism 5.6% Badi 18.6 other
Ethnic groups	Non-official estimates	74.4% Xiaodongese 8.8% Chanwan 4.3% Ba 12.5% other
GDP (nominal)	$1.919 trillion	$4.741 trillion
GDP (nominal) per capita	$9,450	$8,562
GDP (PPP)	$2.639 trillion	$8.683 trillion
GDP (PPP) per capita	$12,997	$15,681
Real GDP growth rate	7.1% (2016)	5.19% (2020)
Military personnel	3,712,000	3,350,750
Labour force	49.275 million	TBA
Mobile phones	88,641,597	TBA

History

Early alliance (1950-1975)

• Xiao support for the UKP in its cold war with neighbours.
• Shared anti-colonial struggle

Nadir (1975-1984)

• Already fraying as the new Xiao regime distrusting of Zorasan.
• Failure of Xiao and Zorasan to support each other in Irvadistan War and Coastal Crisis.
• Relations start to improve with the departure of Jahandar and Sun from power.

Reform period (1984-2005)

• Creation of ROSPO and IFDS.
• Both nations support reforms to grow economies; measured multilateralism.
• Ends in 2005

Modern cooperation (2005-present)

Akbari and Yuan inspecting Zorasani troops in Zahedan, 2019.

According to commentators and analysts, the Axis has seen its greatest improvements and strengthening under First Minister Farzad Akbari and State Chairman Yuan Xiannian, with the two being said to have a very good relationship personally speaking. Through their efforts, the two have signed numerous trade and cultural agreements, including permanent student exchanges; an oil-for-coal agreement, arms deals and joint-declarations on seeking a new world order, that would end a top-heavy system and make sovereign nations equal. Both have expressed anti-globalist attitudes individually and together, while they see their partnership as key for offering leadership to the developing world.

During his first visit as State Chairman to Zahedan, Yuan said that:

"In Zorasan we have a friend, ally, mentor and student. In our mutual relationship we have much to share, much to learn and much to teach. We compliment one another in various areas and this is something, I and State President Isfandiar intend to utilise for the mutual benefit of both our nations. We have in our hands, the finest friendship in the world, one that is built solely on win-win, never zero-sum. We shall be shining examples to the developing world."

In the summer of 2019, the Xiaodongese became the most vocal supporters for the Union's position with regards to the 2019 Estmere-Zorasan Crisis, while the Union government made strident efforts to support Xiaodong's economy, through direct-investment, lucrative energy deals, as well as the modernisation of the National Salvation Army, which included the sale of heavy bombers, anti-ship missiles, two Mazdavand-class frigates and the deployment of 300 advisers to help train the NSA in counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism. That summer, First Minister Akbari declared:

"The Rongzhuo-Zahedan Axis is now cemented in the world's international relations, we have our closest and dearest ally on the up, and that pleases us. We want a strong, wealthy and stable Xiaodong, because they deserve to be and Coius needs it. We, in the Union, remain committed to ensuring such a Xiaodong exists, we will do all possible, we will provide all asked for. Friends look out for one another and that is what we shall do."

It is said, that Volkan and Yuan speak on the phone at least once a week, for personal and professional reasons. They regularly discuss domestic happenings and exchange views and ideas on international events.

In 2018, Zorasani foreign minister Hadir Mourad expressed his personal desire to see Xiaodong's lost territories returned, telling Tasnim News, "when Xiaodong returns to its natural state, we can all relax because through that, a secure Coius emerges."