The story: After years of talks, the foreign ministers of Iran and China have signed a comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries. Reactions to the March 27 accord have ranged from talk of an emerging Sino-Iranian “Axis of Evil,” to outright dismissal of its significance. While the Iranian leadership has approved the move, the authorities remain highly sensitive to ongoing criticism in some quarters that Iran is coming under Chinese influence.

A ‘plan of action’: The Iranian foreign ministry has been circulating a “Fact Sheet” among local journalists, which Amwaj.media has translated and made accessible below. The document outlines...