Iranian President Raeisi set to visit China on Tuesday

Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi will pay an official visit to China early next week at the invitation of his Chinese counterpart, amid the two Asian countries' strong determination to enhance strategic, bilateral cooperation in various fields.

“At the invitation of President Xi Jinping, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Ebrahim Raeisi will pay a state visit to China from February 14 to 16,” China’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying announced on Sunday.

During his three-day stay, Raeisi, heading a high-ranking delegation, is scheduled to meet and hold multi-faceted talks with the Chinese president.

The two sides’ delegations will also sign cooperation documents.

The president will also attend the joint meeting of the Iranian and Chinese businessmen and visit with Iranian expatriates in China as well.

Late last year, Chinese Ambassador to Iran Chang Hua described China and Iran as old friends and new partners and expressed his country’s eagerness to enhance all-out ties with the Islamic Republic.

He said that China regards the relations with Iran from a strategic viewpoint and will not back off from the resolve to promote a comprehensive and strategic partnership with Iran, saying that the two nations have opened a new chapter in their relations by starting a strategic partnership in 2016.

Relations between Iran and China go as far back as the ancient Silk Road, but they are gaining strategic significance because of the West’s refusal to work with Iran under US pressure and its measures to clip China’s wings and stop its economic and political rise. This is automatically pushing Tehran and Beijing into an alliance of sorts.

Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, American businesses have been prevented from trading with Iran, while their European counterparts have withdrawn amid the US threats of sanctions. That has helped Chinese companies move in and fill the void.

As a result, Iran and China have forged a unique partnership that is almost impossible or not easily viable with any other country.

MG