Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian traveled to China on Friday (January 14th) to hold talks with Chinese officials on bilateral political relations and the implementation of bilateral economic cooperation agreements.

It should be noted that the foreign ministers of Iran and China have met regularly in recent years to discuss ways to develop bilateral relations, but this visit by Amir Abdollahian at such a critical juncture, especially at the same time as holding several rounds of Iran's nuclear talks with the world nuclear powers in Vienna are of particular importance.
 
Although the historical relations between the two countries date back to ancient times and at least two thousand years ago, but these relations have gained more importance and form in the contemporary era, so that the relations between the two countries have been upgraded to strategic and strategic relations since 2016. As Chinese President Xi Jinping has said, since the formation of a comprehensive strategic relationship between Tehran and Beijing in 2016, mutual political trust between the two countries has been established and mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields has continued to develop.
 
Following the formation of this comprehensive strategic relationship after the Chinese President's meeting with Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Revolution in 2016, this process finally ended with the signing of the Iran-China Comprehensive Cooperation Plan on March 27, 2021.
In fact, the document was signed between Chinese Foreign Minister and former Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif during a visit to Tehran by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. As it was announced after the signing of this document, the mentioned document has been compiled in the direction of peace, stability and regional and international development, and therefore it is not in opposition to any third party or to interfere in the affairs of any country. This document is a roadmap for comprehensive cooperation between Iran and China and therefore does not contain any agreement.
 
In an interview with China's CGTN, Amir Abdollahian has said that a comprehensive strategic agreement between Iran and China is in the interests of both nations.
 
He added: "Relations between Tehran and Beijing are expanding in all fields, and the 25-year strategic partnership and cooperation between the two countries will be a" win-win "approach."
 
 
On the importance of the 25-year cooperation document
 
Dr. Amir Abdollahian told reporters on Friday after meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi: "During this visit, the two sides agreed to announce the implementation and start of the 25-year strategic and comprehensive cooperation agreement between the two countries, and at the same time with the talks in China, we have made arrangements to announce Friday, January 14, as the start date for the implementation of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement."
 
Expressing satisfaction with his first official visit to Beijing at the beginning of the new year, he wrote: "I hope that the relations between the two countries will enter their second 50 years with a leap; I also wish that the Beijing Winter Games, which will be held on Chinese Spring Festival, bring joy and vitality to the world during the Corona pandemic."
 
Referring to the expansion of Iran-China relations in recent months, Amir Abdollahian said: "In the last four months, there have been more than 7 contacts and meetings between the Chinese Foreign Minister and me, and at the level of presidents, contacts and communication have been very smooth. This shows that the importance and growth and development of relations between the two countries."
 
 He said that in the new administration (Iran) we are facing more acceleration of foreign relations, and noted: "In bilateral relations, we enjoy good coordination and diversity in various issues, and we have made great progress in various issues in the interests of both parties."
 
Comprehensive document on Iran-China cooperation
 
China-Iran relations, which were previously at a strategic stage, have recently entered a new phase with the signing of a 25-year cooperation document due to the special plans of the two countries in the current international space and foreign policy and after intense diplomatic efforts and consultations were signed on March 27 in Tehran in the presence of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and former Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.
 
The Iran-China Comprehensive Cooperation Document, while highlighting the need to improve relations between the two countries based on need and necessity in the face of US sanctions against Tehran and Beijing, also has many positive regional implications for the two countries.
 
Criticizing the sanctions imposed by Washington on Iran, China believes that the 25-year cooperation agreement paves the way for the development of economic and political cooperation, according to AFP.
 
According to the report, China is one of Iran's largest trading partners and was the largest buyer of oil from the Islamic Republic of Iran before the imposition of unilateral sanctions in 2018 by former US President Donald Trump.
 
According to the Straits Times of Singapore, the Iran-China cooperation agreement, which was signed after years of talks, will pave the way for cooperation in the fields of energy, security, infrastructure and communications.
 
The document, which sets the framework for cooperation between the two countries from a geopolitical perspective, was met with a backlash from the Western media, who claimed that Iran and China were seeking to change the international game amid US sanctions on Tehran.
 
Contrary to the unrealistic propaganda of the Western media about the cooperation document between the two countries, Iran and China oppose the domination and bullying of the West and protect international justice and fairness, and strategic plans and cooperation aimed at increasing interaction and the level of relations. Experts believe that this agreement can be a model for cooperation between other countries based on their needs and in the framework of mutual development.
 
The China-Iran Comprehensive Cooperation Plan is the result of the efforts of the two sides following the issuance of a joint statement on the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership in January 2016, during the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Iran.
 
The Chinese Xinhua news agency also reported on the meeting between the Iranian and Chinese Foreign Ministries and wrote that the two sides had held extensive talks and discussed ways to expand bilateral cooperation, including the resumption of talks in Vienna.
 
According to the Chinese media, the signing of a 25-year agreement between Iran and China will pave the way for the development of multilateral relations between the two countries.
 
Experts believe that, apart from promoting political cooperation, a comprehensive Iran-China cooperation program could have many positive regional consequences for the two countries.
 
Analysts believe that China and Iran have a long history of cooperation, and Iran is a vital partner for China in the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, and the signing of this document stems from the two countries' need for development based on the principle of mutual benefit and win-win results.
 
In fact, it should be said that this trip is very important in terms of regional and multilateral relations in regional and international equations, considering the axes of the negotiations in Beijing and the Iran-China agreements.
 
In a sense, the signing and even implementation of this document due to the depth of bilateral relations between Beijing and Tehran shows the high level of economic relations between the two countries, which is of strategic importance within the framework of this comprehensive document of strategic cooperation.
 
According to experts, this document is in turn a complete roadmap for the comprehensive development of relations between the two countries, especially since the important economic dimension that is the main focus of this document is given the most importance.
 
This document is also of special importance in the field of international cooperation and indicates the existence of an excellent level of cooperation in the political relations between Tehran and Beijing. Because Iran and China, as two important and influential countries in the international system, have common interests and goals to expand cooperation in various fields and maintain stability and security in the region, and are opposed to unilateralism.
 
In fact, it should be said that the signing and implementation of this 25-year cooperation document is the result of mutual trust between the two countries in bilateral relations as well as in regional and international interactions, which will henceforth be the beacon of comprehensive relations between the two countries. At the same time, it strengthens Iran's "look to the east" approach in bilateral and multilateral relations.