Rouhani: Tehran welcomes profound cooperation with Beijing

President Rouhani made the remarks in a meeting with Chinese Minister of National Defense Chang Wanquan.

The President stressed the need to upgrade Tehran-Beijing ies on the basis of mutual respect and common interests, saying that deepening ties with China as a major country in Asia and Iran's ancient friend is of higher significance.

President Rouhani said that the Islamic Republic of Iran makes efforts to safeguard regional stability and security and fight against terrorism and that Iran and China should boost cooperation to counter the big threat of terrorism.

The president noted that security of Asia and the Pacific, China Sea and the Persian Gulf are inseparable.

'We should maintain Asian security in cooperation with the Chinese government and today, Iran shoulders a very important role to safeguard global security and stability.'

Rouhani highlighted Iran's existing capacities and the Chinese advances in science and technology, saying that a suitable atmosphere has been created for mutual cooperation in the fields of energy, defense, economy, nuclear and other sectors following the implementation of Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Chinese minister of national defense, for his part, said that his country will continue cooperation with Iran as the first regional power on the common goal of regional security and stability. 

He said that Iran has strategic role in the region and that China always has close stances with Iran.

The Chinese minister evaluated Iran-China relations as excellent, saying that sense of friendship and amity prevails between the two nations and the two countries' military officials.

Iran is the biggest and most influential Muslim country in the region, he said, therefore, mutual cooperation between the two countries is significant, he said.