Alwaght- 54 years have gone since the start of the diplomatic relations between China and Iran. During over five decades, the two countries have respected and supported each other and strengthened mutual trust.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman has described over half century of relationship with Iran as enjoying healthy and stable growth, adding that it has contributed to global peace and stability. These comments were made while Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was in Beijing for a visit— a visit that has been given international media and observer focus as it is being made amid the indirect Iranian-American talks.
The top Iranian diplomat arrived in Beijing earlier Wednesday. It was made just three days before the third round of talks with the US envoy to West Asia, Steve Witkoff, on Iran nuclear program.
Why visiting China?
The Chinese-Iranian relations have always been close and strategic. It is said that FM Araghchi's visit to Beijing is within the strategic interactions between the two nations and the high-level consultations. Also, state media reported that the Iranian FM carries a message to Chinese President Xi Jinping from his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian. Actually, China is one of the key and determining parties with a positive role in the nuclear negotiations. So, the Iranian diplomat discusses issues with the Chinese officials.
On the other hand, China, as a member of the UN Security Council, like Russia, can play the role of guarantor of any possible agreement between Tehran and Washington. Given the previous experience of the US violating the agreement, it is natural for Iran to seek an international guarantor of any agreement with Washington, and in the meantime, China, given its international role and veto right, can assume the role of guarantor of any agreement between Washington and Tehran.
Parter in hard days
According to official resources, the top Iranian diplomat discussed with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi the implementation of the 25-year Comprehensive Cooperation Agreement. This program, known as the 25-year document, is considered a high-level document in the relations between the two countries, and now that negotiations between Tehran and Washington are underway, Iran is determined to announce to China that regardless of the outcome of the negotiations, Tehran's relations with Beijing will remain at a strategic level and the two sides are determined to implement the program.
The strategic document on China-Iran relations is based on the signing of an agreement that was concluded in 2020 and is known in public literature as the 25-year Iran-China agreement. This document covers cooperation between the two countries for a period of 25 years in various political, executive, humanitarian and cultural, judicial, security and defense, and regional and international areas. When the Iran-China cooperation document was signed, foreign media said that continuing to expand its multi-trillion dollar Road and Belt Initiative (RBI), China signed a 25-year cooperation agreement with Iran. Beijing and Tehran are both rivals of Washington and long-standing allies of each other, and what was signed was the result of years of government efforts. At that time, Iran's exports to China were $8.9 billion and its imports were $9.7 billion, but now the trade balance in favor of Iran has increased by $1.8 billion and China's imports from Iran have increased significantly.
It should be noted that China is the world's second largest economy and, according to the International Monetary Fund, it will unseat the US as the world's largest economy. Therefore, many countries, including Iran, see cooperation with this Asian heavyweight as an opportunity, and it is natural that Tehran does not want to miss the opportunity to cooperate with Beijing in the midst of negotiations with Washington. According to the draft document, China should transfer knowledge and experience in many areas needed by the country, as well as invest. This issue can be very important for Iran because China is the world's second largest economy and can improve the country's economic situation. In addition, foreign exchange to the country and investment create jobs and directly benefit the livelihoods of people.
Given the opportunities of doing business with China, now that Iran is in talks with the US over its nuclear program, Tehran is working to maintain its close and firm bonds with Beijing, and the visit to China a few days before the new round of talks with the US is drive by this aim.
