BEIJING (Realist English). For 10 consecutive years, including in 2022, China has remained Iran’s largest trading partner. This is reported by the Xinhua news Agency with reference to data from the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China.
In 2022, the volume of trade turnover between the countries amounted to $15.8 billion, an increase of 7% year-on-year.
From February 14 to February 16, the President of Iran Ibrahim Raisi visited China. The purpose of the visit was to complete the work on transfering the 25-year-old comprehensive strategic partnership agreement into practical terms.
“The 25-year cooperation program, which includes energy, trade and infrastructure, has faced obstacles, especially when the United States tightened sanctions against Iran and China. Both sides are likely to focus on how to promote practical cooperation between Iran and China amid growing external uncertainty,” Liu Zhongmin, professor at the Institute of Middle East Studies at the Shanghai University of International Studies, reminded in an interview with the Global Times.
Raisi met with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China Li Keqiang and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC) Li Zhanshu.
During the visit, the sides exchanged in-depth views on the development of bilateral trade and economic relations and achieved a number of positive results.
“As part of the next stage, we will work with our Iranian colleagues to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state in the trade and economic sphere, deepen pragmatic cooperation in trade and other areas, import more high-quality products from Iran and continue cooperation in building the Belt and Road,” said the official representative of the Ministry of Commerce of China Shu Jueting.
China and Iran established a comprehensive strategic partnership during Xi Jinping’s visit to Iran in 2016. Since then, both sides have moved forward to promote the development of this partnership, including cooperation within the framework of the New Silk Road initiative.
“The purpose of Raisi’s visit to China this time is to further develop Iranian-Chinese relations and implement a comprehensive strategic partnership,” Wu Sike, China’s former special envoy for the Middle East, told the Global Times.
In 2021, China and Iran signed a 25-year agreement to strengthen comprehensive cooperation in a number of areas. In accordance with the agreement, both sides will use the potential of economic and cultural cooperation and plan long-term cooperation.
