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As Beijing helps revamp the Iranian capital's metro system,
a bigger picture of counter-hegemony takes shape...Last week, Masoud Dorosti, the managing director of Tehran's bustling metro system, dropped a bombshell: After seven years of intense negotiations, the Iranian capital is gearing up to welcome
a whopping 791 sleek metro trains from China. It's a move set to transform the city's transit scene, injecting new life into a system that hasn't seen a serious upgrade in half a decade.
But that's not all. Tehran's mayor, Alireza Zakani, threw in another ace from his sleeve last month, unveiling
a flurry of contracts inked with Chinese giants aimed at giving the city's infrastructure a serious facelift. From major transportation projects to ambitious construction ventures, China's fingerprints may soon be all over Tehran's urban landscape. Heck, they're even rolling up their sleeves to erect
housing units in this sprawling metropolis of nearly 9 million souls.For anyone who's ever wandered the bustling streets of China's megacities, the thought of Tehran sporting a metro system rivaling any of China's tier-one cities isn't just a pipe dream; it's a tantalizing glimpse into the future. With its sleek trains zipping through immaculate stations, China's urban rail network sets the gold standard for public transportation worldwide.
Could Tehran, a city boxed in by international sanctions, really outshine the likes of New York City's aging subway system?Well, that wouldn't actually be that hard - but it's worth rewinding a bit.
Comment: This interesting intellectual analysis frameworks the increasing divide between the West and Russia.