Azernews.Az

By Aynur Karimova

The first train linking China and Iran, two major trade partners, arrived in Tehran on February 15 loaded with Chinese goods, Iranian media reported.

The train carried 32 containers of commercial products from eastern Zhejiang province. It took 14 days to make the 9,500-kilometer journey through Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan.

The inauguration of the Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran railway route in December 2014 paved the way for journey from China to Iran through railways.

"The arrival of this train in less than 14 days is unprecedented," Head of the Iranian railway company Mohsen Pourseyed Aqayi said at a ceremony at Tehran's rail station attended by the ambassadors of China and Turkmenistan.

It is believed that this train is a symbol characterizing Iran's aim to participate at this grand multi-billion project and China's desire to see Iran in this project envisaging the revival of the ancient Silk Road.

"The revival of the Silk Road is crucial for the countries on its route," Aqayi said.

The journey was 30 days shorter than the sea voyage from Shanghai to the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas. It will leave every month and the frequency will be increased if necessary, according to Aqayi.

"The railway will not stop in Tehran as we are planning to extend the railway to Europe in future, generating more income for Iran from passing trains," he added.

The train is run by private companies using existing routes, Iranian railway company spokesman Sadegh Sakari told AFP.

The move is a part of a plan to revive the Silk Road, Chinese President Xi Jimping's signature foreign policy initiative known as "One Belt One Road" and aimed at boosting China’s trade turnover.

The Silk Road is an ancient network of commercial land and sea routes, named for the lucrative Chinese silk trade, that were central to business across the Asian continent connecting China to the Mediterranean Sea.

Back in 2013, President Xi proposed a project namely "Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Maritime Silk Road" which is seeking to connect Asia to Europe and Africa through a network of roads, railways, ports and airports.

Iran, which plays an important role in China’s regional economic ambitions, also eyes participating in the ambitious Chinese plan to revive the Silk Road as Iran is a critical part of this plan, due to its strategic location with access to key waterways.

China is for expansion of ties on transport sector and Iran and China both are considered to be significant destinations that are located along the Silk Road.

Over the past six years Beijing has been Tehran’s major trade partner.
Iranian Customs Administration reported that Iran exported 17.56 million tons of non-oil goods, worth $5.33 billion to China during the first eight months of 2015. China was the main importer of Iranian goods in the mentioned period. Beijing’s imports accounted for 22.7 percent of Iran’s total non-oil exports in terms of value and 33.3 percent in terms of volume.

More than a third of Iran's foreign trade falls on China, which is Tehran's top customer for oil exports, according to Iranian media.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani agreed last month to build economic ties worth up to $600 billion within the next 10 years. This was announced during a visit to Iran by Xi, the first by a Chinese president in 14 years, and just days after sanctions against Tehran were lifted under a historic nuclear deal with world powers.

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Aynur Karimova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Aynur_Karimova

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