Ebrahim Raisi, the president of Iran, met with Xi Jinping, the president of China, on Tuesday. This was the first day of a three-day trip to China to improve trade and economic ties.
Tehran said that Raisi and Xi would sign a lot of “cooperation documents” and that Raisi had brought a large group to Beijing with him, including the head of his central bank and the ministers for mining and oil.
Iran and China have close economic relations, particularly in the areas of energy, transit, agriculture, trade, and investment. In 2021, they also agreed to a 25-year “strategic cooperation pact.”
An Iranian president hasn’t paid a state visit to China in well than 20 years. Xi gave Raisi a red carpet welcome before inspecting Chinese military forces.
Both nations are under pressure from Western countries due to their stances on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which began about a year ago. Additionally, Iran is already subject to severe US sanctions because of its nuclear programme.
As the invasion has made Moscow even more alone in the world, Iran has become one of its few remaining friends.
The West has said that Iran gave Russia armed drones to use in the conflict in Ukraine, but Iran has said that this is not true.
In December, Washington talked about what it said was a big partnership between Iran and Russia that involved drones, fighter jets, and helicopters.
Beijing has endeavoured to present itself as impartial while providing diplomatic support to its strategic partner Russia, making Moscow’s offensive in Ukraine a sensitive subject for Beijing.
Raisi and Xi met for the first time at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Uzbekistan last September. The Iranian president was there and pushed for closer ties.
Raisi will attend talks with Chinese businesses and Iranians who have a presence there, according to the Iranian state news agency IRNA.
According to IRNA’s analysis of 10-month statistics from Iran’s customs administration, China is Iran’s top trading partner. Tehran exported $12.6 billion worth of products to Beijing while importing $12.7 billion worth of goods from China.
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Iranian state media reported that Raisi is being escorted by the country’s foreign minister as well as the ministries for the economy, roads and transportation, oil, industry, mining, trade, and agriculture.
Ali Bagheri, Iran’s deputy foreign minister for political affairs and top nuclear negotiator, is also a member of his delegation.
Raisi will meet with Premier Li Keqiang and a senior Chinese lawmaker, according to Wang Wenbin, a spokesman for the Chinese foreign ministry.
“China and Iran enjoy a long-standing friendship, and it is in both countries’ strategic interests to strengthen and advance China-Iran relations,” Wang added.
He went on to say that Beijing wants to “play a positive role in improving the unity and cooperation of countries in the Middle East and in helping to keep the region safe and stable.”
Raisi’s first trip to China comes just days after he called an uprising in Iran over Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who died in jail after being arrested for allegedly breaking the dress code for women in Iran, a victory.
Authorities say that thousands of people have been arrested during the protests, which they usually call “riots,” and that hundreds of people have been killed, including a number of police officers.
According to an AFP count based on official pronouncements, the judiciary has sentenced 18 individuals to death in relation to the protests. International anger has been brought on by the execution of four people.
