Chinese President Xi Jinping has pledged his country’s determination to boost “strategic” partnership with Iran regardless of global and regional developments.
“No matter how the international and regional situations change, China's resolve to develop comprehensive strategic partnership with Iran will remain unchanged,” Xi said during a Wednesday meeting with visiting Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
Under the new situation, the two countries need to further deepen “strategic mutual trust” and provide mutual understanding and support on issues related to each other's “core interests” and major concerns, Xi added.
“We support Iran in playing a constructive role in maintaining regional peace and stability and are willing to closely communicate and coordinate with Iran on regional issues,” he added.
The Chinese president also underlined the need for more anti-terrorism and security cooperation between Iran and China.
For his part, Larijani said Iran took a “strategic and long-term” view to develop relations with China.
Strengthening bilateral friendly cooperation is not only in the interest of the two countries but also important for peace and stability in Asia and the world. He said.
He added that Iran was keen to deepen political mutual trust and promote pragmatic cooperation with China and underscored the need for Tehran and Beijing to support each other in international and regional arenas.
The Chinese president also met with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.
Accompanied Speaker Larijani to Beijing for important talks with President Xi & Chinese leadership on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between our nations. Topping agenda: #Iran's role in Belt & Road initiative as well as continued political, security & economic cooperation. pic.twitter.com/ELHszym4y5
— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) February 20, 2019
Larijani arrived in Beijing on Tuesday for a two-day official visit following his last week's trip to Tokyo, where he held talks with senior Japanese officials on the expansion of commercial and economic cooperation.
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Both China and Iran have been targeted by the US economic pressure.
Back in May, the administration of US President Donald Trump withdrew Washington from a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers and announced reimposition of the sanctions against Tehran that had been lifted as part of the agreement.
The US and China have too been engaged in economic tensions over the past months, in what is feared to turn into an all-out trade war between the world’s two largest economies.
The US has already imposed tariffs on $250bn worth of Chinese goods, and China has imposed duties on $110bn of US products in tit for tat.
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