Iran, China hold 'fruitful' talks on strategic partnership: FM Zarif

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has hailed “fruitful” talks with his Chinese counterpart on the two countries’ strategic partnership, saying both sides oppose the US unilateralism.

Zarif, heading a high-ranking delegation, arrived in China on Saturday for an official visit at the invitation of his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi.

“Fruitful talks in beautiful Tengchong with my friend Wang Yi on Iran-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership,” the top Iranian diplomat said in a post to his official Twitter account on Saturday.

Fruitful talks in beautiful Tengchong with my friend Wang Yi on Iran-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Rejected US unilateralism and US attempts to create unipolar world

Agreed on strengthening our ties incl 25-yr plan, regional coop, preserving JCPOA & vaccine collab.

— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) October 10, 2020

He added that both Iran and China oppose the United States’ unilateral policies on regional and international developments and its attempts to create a “unipolar world”.

Zarif also explained that he and his Chinese counterpart have agreed on strengthening bilateral relations, including a 25-year roadmap for strategic partnership, regional cooperation, preserving a landmark 2015 nuclear deal and collaboration on developing a vaccine to fight the deadly coronavirus pandemic.

Earlier, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said Zarif’s visit to China would take place on the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

Tehran and Beijing “are determined to further expand their strategic partnership,” he tweeted, adding that China is Iran’s “1st economic partner” despite the US “maximum pressure” campaign against the Islamic Republic.

China maintains friendly ties with Iran and remains a party to the nuclear agreement, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), from which the US withdrew in 2018 and subsequently targeted the Iranian nation with the “toughest ever” economic sanctions.

Iran and China are working to finalize the 25-year Sino-Iranian Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, which was announced in a joint statement during a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to Tehran in 2016.

The cooperation roadmap consists of 20 articles, covering Tehran-Beijing ties in “Political,” “Executive Cooperation,” “Human and Cultural,” “Judiciary, Security and Defense,” and “Regional and International” domains, according to the statement released back then.

In a message to his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on September 30, Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani hailed strategic ties between the two countries, saying the partnership agreement that Tehran and Beijing are working to finalize will open a new chapter in bilateral relations.

Strategic partnership deal with China will mark new chapter in bilateral ties: Iran

Iran says the signing of a 25-year strategic agreement with China will open a new chapter in bilateral relations.

“I am sure that the conclusion and signing of the 25-year comprehensive strategic cooperation plan between the two countries will be a large step towards advancing common interests in line with international peace and security and confronting unilateralism,” Rouhani said.

Read more: 

• Proposed 25-year Sino-Iranian deal has the West worried

• Iran-China strategic partnership deal awaits finalization

• Deepening China-Iran ties challenge US hegemony

• Iran-China partnership deal shows ‘massive failure’ of US approach: American daily

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