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Iran, China begin implementing 25-year strategic partnership agreement

Saturday, 15 January 2022 2:24 AM [ Last Update: Saturday, 15 January 2022 2:24 AM ]

Yusef Jalali

Press TV, Wuxi

This is the first time Hussein Amirabdollahian is visiting China as Iran's foreign minister. The one-day trip came upon an invitation by his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi.

The visit marked the beginning of the implementation of the much anticipated Sino-Iranian pact, known as the 25 year strategic partnership. The Sino-Iranian Comprehensive Strategic Partnership was announced in a joint statement during a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to Tehran in 2016.

No detailed information has so far been revealed from the agreement. During the talks China also reiterated its support for Iran's nuclear rights in the ongoing Vienna talks, aimed at removing US sanctions, which Washington reinstated against Iran in 2018 after it unilaterally left the 2015 deal.

As signatories to the accord, China and Russia both urge Washington to remove the sanctions as the only path to rejoin the deal. China is Iran's number one trade partner. This partnership heavily relies on Iran's oil supply to energy-hungry China.

Reports show that in 2021 and despite US oil embargoes on Iran, China tripled its oil imports from Iran. Now the implementation of the new pact, will guarantee the flow of Iran's oil to China and cement the two sides' trade ties.

It goes without saying that China and Iran are strategic partners in every sense. And the top Iranian diplomat's visit to China sends the message that Tehran is willing to keep that path. The two sides are now expected to engage even more as the 25-year strategic partnership has now moved from paper to practice.

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