China seeks to develop comprehensive strategic ties with Iran
By Abdul Kerimkhanov
The development of Chinese-Iranian relations not only meets the interests of the two countries but also has a positive impact on peace and stability in the Middle East.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani went on a tour to China on February 18, accompanied by Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif, oil minister Bijan Zanganeh, head of the Central Bank of Iran Abdolnaser Hemmati, and some parliamentarians.
Chinese President Xi Jinping said at a meeting with the Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani in Beijing that his country is seeking to develop comprehensive strategic ties with Iran on February 20.
During the meeting, Larijani called China one of Iran’s reliable partners, calling for the expansion of relations.
Besides, Larijani held talks with Lee Shu Yang, chairman of the Iran-China parliamentary friendship group on February 20.
During the meeting, he said that the friendly relations between the two countries have more than 2,000 years.
Larijani said that Iran is ready to strengthen ties with China in various fields.
During a meeting with the chairman of the Standing Committee of the All-China People's Congress, Li Zhan Shu in Beijing, the Iranian official said that relations between Iran and China have always been based on friendship.
In turn, the Chinese chairman said the two countries are determined to expand relations.
Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif, at the meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing on February 19, said that Iranian relations with China are very important to the country.
He also added that the Iranian side views the comprehensive strategic partnership between Tehran and Beijing as a single whole of our most important relations.
Both Iran and China have become the target of Washington’s tactics of economic pressure under President Donald Trump.
The Trump administration withdrew from the Iranian nuclear agreement of 2015, signed by China as well in May 2018, and imposed the toughest sanctions ever against Tehran.
China, along with other signatories to the nuclear agreement, has repeatedly defended it and expressed its determination to keep the deal in force.
In recent months, Washington has also been involved in economic tensions with Beijing.
Diplomatic relations between Iran and China were established on August 16, 1971.
The volume of Iranian-Chinese trade reached a historically high value of $ 20 billion in January-Jule 2018.
China has repeatedly stressed that the country will maintain a high level of bilateral relations with Iran, regardless of the position of third countries.
In turn, Iran last year significantly eased visa rules for China, increased the volume of energy exports and began to show interest in various multilateral economic formats in Asia with Chinese participation.
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Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94
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