In an interview with IRNA on Tuesday, Hongda Fan, a professor at the Middle East Studies Institute of Shanghai International Studies University, said that the name of Iran is reminiscent of the term “Persian merchants” for the Chinese people today, as there are stories of Persian merchants derived from ancient Chinese books still circulating among the people of China today.
“The idea that Iran is a country good at commerce and trade plays an important role in Chinese perceptions of Iran,” according to Hongda.
In fact, the Middle East professor continued, it is difficult for the international community to accept that Iran can play a major role in international trade routes because Iran is still suffering from serious sanctions and its transportation facilities are relatively backward.
“But this perception of Iran is at odds with what is happening there,” Hongda said, adding that Iran's international status and role need to be redefined, as "Persian merchants" is not only a historical phenomenon, but also has a present and a future worthy of attention.
Land and sea transportation will remain the most important means of international commodity circulation for the foreseeable future, the Chinese professor said to argue that Iran's geographical location has determined that the country can still play a prominent role as an international trade channel.
He mentioned Bandar Abbas, Chabahar Port, Jask Port, and the Caspian Sea coastal ports as Iran’s potential international connection points and highlighted Iran’s position in the core area of the International North-South Transportation Corridor (INSTC).
“INSTC can connect Iran with India, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Russia, Central Asia, and Europe,” Hongda noted. He also said that the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan (CKU) railway which is set to start construction in 2023 can be connected to Iran through Turkmenistan, and then continue westward through Iran to Turkey and Europe.
“Surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Persian Gulf, the Caspian Sea, and in the middle of the Eurasian continent,” the professor said, “Iran's potential value in international trade is very high.”
He recommended that Iran must speed up the construction of transportation facilities such as ports and railways and get rid of international sanctions as soon as possible one way or another if it wants to play a key role in the international trade channel in the future.
The Chinese professor also recommended that Iran negotiate with its neighbors for win-win cooperation in terms of major international trade channels, as it may also face competition from their side.
“I personally think that the most difficult stage of the Islamic Republic of Iran is gradually passing and Iran's foreign relations are developing more and more smoothly.”
“Therefore,” Hongda noted, “I have high expectations for Iran's role as a major international trade channel in the future and believe ‘Persian Merchants’ will also have good stories in the future.”
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