Strong Backing for Closer Ties With China

EghtesadOnline: The Iranian Parliament supports the disposition of high-level authorities toward closer ties with China, Iran's top lawmaker said on Tuesday.

News ID: ۷۴۸۰۴۴

31 July 2019

"The Leader of Islamic Revolution and the Islamic Republic government advocate enhanced ties with China and the Iranian Parliament also backs such relations," Ali Larijani said in a meeting with Song Tao, the head of International Liaison Department of the Communist Party of China, in Tehran, IRNA reported.

He added that the willingness to initiate a new phase in bilateral relations was also evident among Chinese officials during his latest trip to the Asian country in February.

President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping, according to Larijani, had reiterated his support for a long-term 25-year cooperation plan agreed between the two countries' presidents in 2016, according to Financial Tribune.

"Iran has devised a 25-year plan, based on its own views, which needs to be negotiated with the Chinese side to become a final, joint strategic document," he said.

During Xi's visit to Iran in 2016, the two countries mapped out a wide-ranging 25-year plan to broaden relations and expand trade.

Unchanging Approach

Song stressed that China's strong will to improve ties with Iran will not change in spite of the complicated regional and international developments.

He noted that both countries have chosen their independent paths with the full knowledge of their global position and have attained valuable achievements.

"The experiences of Iran and China show that developing countries need not copy western development models and can attain success with indigenous models of progress," he said.

One of the purposes of the visit, according to the Chinese diplomat, was to join hands to stand up to the United States' "unilateral and domineering" measures, as both countries are facing its "pressure and bullying".

China has been engaged in a trade war with the US by increasing tariffs and other measures since 2018. Iran is also under harsh sanctions that Washington reimposed after withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, last year.

"The [US] hostility is not tactical, but is strategic and deep-rooted, and a strategic thinking is needed against it," Larijani said.

He added that Tehran-Beijing consultations and the cooperation of other friendly nations could help counter the US hostility and nullify its effects, but the success of such a plan depends on taking practical steps and pursuing them seriously.

Song stressed that his country backs Iran's efforts to maintain the nuclear deal and ensure all parties' full compliance.

Iran has initiated a reciprocal plan and is gradually scaling back its commitments under JCPOA to compel the remaining parties to address its economic concerns.

Song later met with Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and discussed the US hegemony and its unilateralism and violation of international regulations.