Toward a lasting example of cooperation

I.R.Iran MFA article in “Irandaily”

I.R.Iran MFA article in “Irandaily”

 Toward a lasting example of cooperation

 

On top of the incumbent Iranian government’s agenda is constructive interaction with the world, especially its Asian partners and friends, in accordance with its balanced foreign policy, dynamic diplomacy, and smart interaction.

On the other hand, China as an emergent economic actor is seeking to make more waves and increase its influence in the international system. China’s position in the world’s trade, politics, and security spheres has made it difficult, even for its rivals, to overlook the opportunities for cooperation and exploiting its capacities.

China is the top trading partner to more than 120 countries, including Iran. Moreover, it has encouraged the participation of some 150 countries in the Belt and Road Initiative during the 10 years that have passed since its unveiling.

As a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, China plays an important role in the UN and its specialized agencies and has been able to pursue convergence and the promotion of common interests by creating and bolstering multilateral arrangements at the regional level.

As a country that welcomes dialogue and interaction, the Islamic Republic gives priority to cementing ties with its neighbors and regional friends, especially in Asia.

Iran considers providing a space for dialogue and understanding in foreign policy to be the precursor to identifying commonalities, inspiring mutual respect, and overcoming disagreements. As such, paying special attention to relations and sending high-ranking delegations to aligned countries like China are all done to enrich mutual understanding and respect, pursue common interests unwaveringly, and improve long-term cooperation at the macro level.

Iran’s policy of encouraging dialogue has been visibly manifested in the meaningful surge in the number of visits and talks between Tehran and Beijing under the incumbent Iranian government. Since President Raeisi took office, the two presidents have outlined the Sino-Iranian relations at the macro level three times during their in-person and phone talks.

My Chinese counterpart and I have exchanged views 14 times on bilateral, regional, and international issues and reviewed the latest developments of the 25-year cooperation document during our in-person, phone, and webinar conversations.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the 25-year cooperation document, but due to the COVID-19 restrictions on traveling to China, it has assumed a bigger role in the comprehensive development of Sino-Iranian cooperation through Tehran’s economic diplomacy. Fortunately, it will yield results in the form of signing economic documents during the ongoing visit to Beijing.

Now that the travel restrictions to China have been lifted, we are happy to see the exchanges of the governmental and private delegations between the two countries swiftly return to their previous conditions and compensate for any possible lagging that they might have experienced as a result of not communicating in-person for so long.

By upgrading relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership and signing a 25-year comprehensive cooperation document, the two countries have been able to take a big step in strengthening practical cooperation and put their relations on a long-term and stable horizon regardless of the changing global conditions. The parties are firmly determined to maintain and expand relations and have emphasized on the unlimited strengthening of mutual ties. The desire and decision have been responded to by the firm determination of the Chinese side to strengthen friendship and strategic relations with Iran and to continue close cooperation in bilateral and multilateral formats.

The (Iranian calendar) year 1400 (2021-2022), marking the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Iran and China, became a turning point in bilateral relations. The comprehensive cooperation document was signed and implemented this year and the positive impact of this document was seen in the significant growth of trade between the two countries this year compared to the previous year.

We can hope that due to the great capacities of the two countries and the implementation of the agreements reached during the visit of the honorable president in the fields of culture, tourism, science and technology, transit, trade, agriculture and customs, economic cooperation between Iran and China would be facilitated through the transfer of related experiences and technologies and deepening bilateral trade.

Also, we are sure we will see a jump in the export of non-oil products to China which will bring positive results such as increasing national production and job creation for Iran’s economy.

As two independent countries, Iran and China have diverse fields for common thinking, cooperation, and mutual support based on common views on international trends. The two countries have opposed unilateralism and condemned attempts to interfere in the affairs of independent countries under the pretext of defending lofty and universal concepts. The two countries emphasize that the right to develop and enjoy science and technology is not a monopoly of anyone and the path to the progress of nations cannot be blocked by sanctioning and extending domestic jurisdiction to foreign countries. Both sides do not recognize illegal and unilateral sanctions and through ignoring the excessive demands of some actors in the international arena, they have preserved and expanded their cooperation. Similarly, the joint view of Iran and China that in today’s interconnected world, peace, development, and security of one country cannot be provided at the expense of others has led the parties to strengthen convergence in the form of multilateral arrangements, emphasizing on common points and respecting differences in order to protect stability, peace, and mutual understanding.

Based on this point of view, cooperation between Iran and China has been strengthened in international and regional organizations and the world order. Iran received China’s support in joining the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) as a permanent member and has welcomed China’s positive view on the expansion of BRICS members and has announced Tehran’s readiness to join BRICS.

Also, the mutual support of Iran and China continues stronger than before within the framework of special organizations within the United Nations. The cooperation of the two countries within the framework of international institutions has prevented the imposition of a unilateralist and interventionist point of view and has increased the global understanding of the need for new multilateral arrangements based on today’s realities and in accordance with the needs of the members of the world community. The two countries are pursuing a qualitative change in international relations to reduce the inadequacies and shortcomings of the existing order and provide the collective interests of the countries through their participation in achieving the goals of development and protection of global peace and security.

Iran and China stress that they have a strong determination to expand cooperation and strengthen bilateral links in various trade, political, cultural, and people-to-people fields and not only do not consider their collaborations threatening to any third country, but also see them as efforts to prepare the ground for improving regional convergence and facilitate safeguarding other states’ interests. Also, given the importance they attach to maintaining and expanding bilateral relations in the long term, Iran and China have constantly emphasized that they will not let their relations with third countries affect their strategic cooperation with each other.

Although there are those at the international level who are opposed to relations between Iran and China and make bids to, through spreading Iranophobia and Sinophobia, pass their own desired narratives off as the correct ones, Tehran and Beijing are promoting an account based on the realities on the ground. Iran and China, as two friendly countries, are making serious efforts to promote cooperation and convergence in their regions. The two countries, in addition to countering transregional players’ bids aimed at scaremongering in West and East Asia, maintain that the Cold War mentality and forming tension-creating and unconstructive coalitions are among the outdated and ineffective phenomena that need to be replaced by new initiatives and alliances.

The two countries also have a common understanding of and views towards global challenges and highlight the importance of making collective efforts in the face of issues such as climate change, as well as respecting international law and humanitarian and ethical principles in their resolution. The Islamic Republic of Iran has appreciated China’s positive stance and role in the nuclear negotiations to remove the sanctions and stressed that in case the Western side adopts a realistic approach, a nuclear agreement will be within reach. China can, by reminding the Western states of their commitments, ask them to walk the right and realistic path.

In this visit, close to 20 cooperation documents were signed, the tangible outcomes of which will show themselves in different areas. In the field of economy, given the complementary characteristics of the Iranian and Chinese markets and financial systems, a larger number of capacities were created for the enhancement of cooperation in the trade, transit, fossil and renewable energies, investment, and joint production sectors. These capacities, in addition to other diverse areas, including in the fields of technology, science, education, sport, tourism, and culture, for the deepening of the friendship between the two nations and owners of ancient Asian civilizations were discussed by Iran and China, which prepared the ground for developing a brilliant and lasting model in the cooperation between the two countries at the beginning of the second 50-year period of their diplomatic relations.

President Raeisi’s successful trip to China and the vision he and his Chinese counterpart developed for future cooperation promise the deepening of the two countries’ strategic comprehensive partnership and the favorable trend reflected by the process to implement the 25-year comprehensive cooperation document in line with efforts to safeguard the two nations’ interests.