China, Iran pledge to deepen partnership, promote ties

China and Iran have reaffirmed their commitment to deepening their comprehensive strategic partnership and enhancing the determination to promote practical cooperation, a move analysts said indicates the strength and potential of bilateral ties that steer away from external disruptions.

The agreement was reached when Vice-Premier Hu Chunhua met with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in Iran's capital, Teheran, on Tuesday.

During the meeting, Hu said China views its ties with Iran from a strategic perspective and will not waver in its determination to develop their comprehensive strategic partnership. China firmly supports Iran in opposing external interference and safeguarding its sovereignty, territorial integrity and national dignity, he added.

The presidents of the two countries have been in close contact. President Xi Jinping and Raisi had a phone conversation in July and held a meeting in September to deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership.

Hu said China stands ready to work with Iran to earnestly implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state and make joint efforts to advance the implementation of the China-Iran comprehensive cooperation plan.

On the same day, Hu also held talks with Iran's First Vice-President Mohammad Mokhber and exchanged in-depth views on implementing the comprehensive cooperation plan, which has a 25-year span and covers various areas including energy, infrastructure and production capacity.

Raisi said Iran and China enjoy a traditional friendship and the bilateral ties are of important strategic significance.

No matter how the international and regional landscapes change, Iran will remain firmly committed to deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, the Iranian president said.

Raisi said Iran has always been a trustworthy partner of China, and the two countries stand ready to firmly support each other on issues concerning each other's core interests.

Li Shaoxian, director of Ningxia University's China-Arab Research Institute, said Iran is a pivotal country involved in the Belt and Road Initiative and there is huge potential for cooperation in various fields between Beijing and Teheran.

In the first eight months of the year, trade volume between China and Iran reached $11.16 billion, a year-on-year increase of 19 percent.

Speaking on the complex contradictions and disputes in the Middle East, Li said China, as a responsible nation, has promoted the construction of a new security architecture in the Middle East, and has offered its approach to upholding peace, stability and development in the region.

Hu's trip to Iran came days after President Xi made a state visit to Saudi Arabia and attended the first China-Arab States Summit and the China-Gulf Cooperation Council Summit in Riyadh.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin earlier said that the GCC nations and Iran are all China's friends, and neither China-GCC relations nor China-Iran relations target any third party.

"China supports the GCC countries in improving relations with Iran based on the principle of good-neighborly friendship, in conducting win-win cooperation with Iran and in jointly promoting the development and stability in the Persian Gulf," Wang said, adding that China is willing to continue to play a constructive role in this regard.

Niu Xinchun, a researcher with the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations in Beijing, said China maintains friendly and balanced relations with countries concerned, instead of picking sides or engaging in alliances.

On the Iran nuclear issue, Niu said China speaks up for justice and opposes unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction against Iran while championing the right to peaceful use of nuclear energy.