The Iranian president leads a high-ranking economic and political delegation on his trip to China.
This is the first state visit by an Iranian president to China in 20 years.
On January 23, 2016, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Iran and met with Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei.
An excerpt of the Supreme Leader’s remarks is as follows:
** The government and people of Iran have always looked and are still looking for expanding relations with independent and trustworthy countries like China and on this basis, the agreement between the presidents of Iran and China for the establishment of a 25-year strategic relationship is completely correct and wise.
** Ayatollah Khamenei welcomed the proposal made by the Chinese president about the revival of the Silk Road and the expansion of cooperation among the Silk Road states as a fully logical and acceptable idea.
** The Islamic Republic of Iran will never forget China’s cooperation during the time of sanctions.
** Iran is the only independent country in the region that can be trusted in the area of energy because, unlike many regional countries, the energy policy of Iran is not influenced by any non-Iranian factor.
** Iran and China’s economies complement each other. On this trip, we have reached an agreement about formulating a plan for 25-year strategic cooperation and are ready to increase and deepen our cooperation in cultural, educational, technological, military, and security areas as strategic partners.
** The issue of a single China is one of the fundamental and definite policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Also, Ayatollah Khamenei expressed hope that the outcome of the Tehran negotiations and agreements will be to the advantage of both sides in the real sense of the word.
