Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun made the remarks on Tuesday ahead of Araghchi’s visit to Beijing, saying the two countries would work on “deepening political mutual trust.”
“Both sides will have in-depth exchanges on China-Iran bilateral relations and international and regional hotspot issues of mutual concern,” he said.
The spokesman further noted that over the 54 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, China and Iran have enjoyed traditional friendship, mutual respect, mutual trust, and support.
“The two countries have promoted the sound and stable development of bilateral relations and contributed to regional and world peace and stability,” he added.
Araghchi will visit China on April 23 at the invitation of Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
His visit is seen as an important step in deepening political mutual trust between the two countries, promoting cooperation in various fields, and jointly upholding multilateralism.
Earlier, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei announced that Araqchi will travel to China on Tuesday.
Araghchi’s visit comes ahead of a third round of nuclear talks between Iran and the United States.
China is Iran’s largest trade partner. Both countries are subject to different levels of illegal sanctions imposed by the US.
They have enjoyed close ties in recent years, particularly after the United States reinstated sanctions on the Iranian economy in 2018 after unilaterally withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear deal.
As Iran’s largest commercial partner, China buys a substantial amount of Iranian oil, often at discounted prices, despite the sanctions.
Iran and China have significantly strengthened their bilateral relations in recent years, particularly following the signing of a 25-year Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement in 2021.
Press TV