Chinese President Xi Jinping in a message to his Iranian counterpart on Monday said that since the two countries launched their strategic partnership in 2016, mutual political trust has been strengthened, the foreign ministry in Beijing announced.

Tehran and Beijing exchanged congratulatory messages Monday on the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. The Chinese leader also drew attention to cooperation against the Covid-19 pandemic. “China and Iran have stood closely together through thick and thin, and wrote a fine story of anti-pandemic cooperation,” he said.

The Islamic Republic president Ebrahim Raisi also underlined his governments readiness to “expand strategic cooperation, hinting that “practical cooperation” also needs to be expanded.

Although China remains Iran’s strategic ally, it has abided by US sanctions to an extent, reducing its oil imports and banking transactions. Iranian officials have also complained in recent weeks that Chinese companies have failed to deliver promised quantities of Covid vaccines.

Iran’s outgoing foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif met China’s special envoy to Afghanistan Yue Xiaoyong in Tehran who arrived on Monday to hold talks amid the takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban. Iranian media reported that the two diplomats shared their views on events in Afghanistan.

Source » trackpersia