Iran-China relations in full swing

International Desk - IRAN DAILY

Chinese President Xi Jinping has told his Iranian counterpart by phone that he will issue the necessary order to foster strategic relations with the Islamic Republic in all areas including the economy.

Issuing such an order means that Sino-Iranian relations will begin to grow strategically. Although Tehran and Beijing have always had good diplomatic ties, they have never been strategic – the highest level of relations two countries can have.

The 25-year cooperation agreement Iran and China signed in March 2021 was a milestone for directing relations toward becoming strategic. After President Raeisi took office in August, the process was expedited. In January, Tehran and Beijing announced the implementation of the long-term deal and now the two presidents have emphasized in their phone conversation the need to speed up the implementation process.

The comprehensive document covers a wide range of areas, including the economy, politics, security, culture, energy, investment, technology transfer, and the private sector among other things.

Greater cooperation with neighbors and a look to the East has been the main focus of Raeisi’s foreign policy, and in the past year, he has achieved notable success in this regard. Under Raeisi, Iran became a permanent member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Tehran and Moscow began to draft a 20-year cooperation document and signed a 40-billion dollar energy agreement, and Iran’s non-oil exports to neighboring countries grew significantly.

However, stronger ties with China are of crucial importance for Iran. Beijing is the world’s second largest economy, and has a lot in common with Tehran in terms of security, politics and the economy. Perhaps the most striking shared view is their opposition to U.S. unilateralism and their emphasis on multilateralism for the international order.

Perhaps bearing this in mind, Raeisi expressed Iran’s support for the “One China” policy, describing it as the definitive policy of the Islamic Republic. He also blasted America’s interference in the internal affairs of other countries as a part of its destructive unilateralism, which he said has become a threat to global peace and security.

Likewise, Xi voiced China’s opposition to the policy of pressure and unilateralism while highlighting the importance of Iran’s constructive role in maintaining stability in the Middle East.

Emphasizing the strategic importance of bilateral relations, the Chinese president said that Beijing is committed to bolstering and developing a wide range of cooperation in various areas of trade, economy, infrastructure, and energy. Xi described the implementation of the comprehensive document as a big step in achieving this goal.

Since the Chinese president has given an order to accelerate the implementation of the 25-year partnership deal, the list of the promises that were fulfilled by the incumbent Iranian administration is expected to grow. Another important part of the phone call, which was widely covered by the Chinese media, is President Xi’s call for improving relations to a strategic level.

Head of the Iran-China Friendship Association Alaeddin Boroujerdi reinforced the importance of the discussion between the Iranian and Chinese presidents in the current circumstances.

“It is imperative that the Iranian administration turns the 25-year cooperation agreement into tens of contracts so that Iran would benefit from the numerous capacities that cooperating with China provides including funding domestic projects, cultural exchanges, etc.,” maintained Boroujerdi.

The phone call between the Iranian and Chinese presidents happened days after the Russian president arrived in Iran and the two countries inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) worth $40 billion. This indicates that the policy of ‘Look to the East’ adopted by the incumbent Iranian administration is gradually bearing fruit. Iran’s strategic relations with China and Russia will weaken the power of economic and political pressure that is exerted by the U.S. and Europe on Tehran. It was no surprise that President Joe Biden immediately reacted to the prospect of Iran and China reaching a long-term deal by saying, “I have been concerned about that for years”.

On January 13, the Foundation for Defense of Democracies also wrote, “The 25-year strategic partnership offers major benefits for two U.S. adversaries. By building relations with Iran, China strengthens its foothold in the Middle East, undermines the United States, and further secures access to Iranian oil and other important commodities. For its part, Iran will get billions of dollars in Chinese energy and infrastructure investment, undercutting the effectiveness of U.S. sanctions against the regime.”