Iran, China sign agreement strengthening economic and political alliance

China and Iran, both subject to US sanctions, on Saturday signed a 25-year cooperation agreement to strengthen their long-standing economic and political alliance.

“The relations between the two countries have now reached the level of a strategic partnership and China is seeking to improve its relations with Iran overall,” Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, quoted by Iranian media, said in his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif.

“Our relations with Iran will not be affected by the current situation, but will be permanent and strategic,” Wang said ahead of the televised signing ceremony.

“Iran decides independently of its relations with other countries and is not like some countries which change position with one phone call.”

The deal integrates Iran into the China Belt and Road Initiative, a multibillion-dollar infrastructure program intended to stretch from East Asia to Europe.

The project aims to significantly expand China’s economic and political influence and has raised concerns in the United States.

China has often spoken out against US sanctions against Iran and partially challenged them. Zarif called him “a friend for hard times”.

Wang met with President Hassan Rouhani before the signing in Tehran. The deal was to include Chinese investments in sectors such as energy and infrastructure.

Rohani expressed satisfaction with Beijing’s support for Iran’s stance on its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, in which it agreed to curb its nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions.

“Cooperation between the two countries is very important for the implementation of the nuclear agreement and the respect of the obligations of the European countries”, declared Rouhani, according to its official site.

US President Joe Biden has sought to restart talks with Iran over the nuclear deal abandoned in 2018 by his predecessor, Donald Trump in 2018. Tehran wants the sanctions imposed by Trump lifted before negotiations resume.

“Under the new administration, Americans want to reconsider their policy and return to the nuclear deal, and China welcomes their decision,” Wang said.

He also pledged that China would provide more coronavirus vaccines to Iran, the Middle Eastern country most affected by the pandemic.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said the agreement was a “road map” for trade and economic and transport cooperation, with particular emphasis on the private sector of the two countries.