Leading a high-ranking economic and political delegation, Raisi arrived in the Chinese capital early on Tuesday. The three-day visit takes place at the official invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The two presidents are to “jointly chart the course for and navigate the future development of bilateral relations,” said the analysis by China Daily.
It said that Raisi’s visit to Beijing could also facilitate efforts to revive Iran’s nuclear deal, almost five years after the United States pulled out of the agreement and imposed sanctions on Tehran.
“Observers noted that also high on the agenda for the Iranian president's visit is advancing negotiations on resuming compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, a landmark Iran nuclear deal enacted in 2016,” said the report.
Ma Xiaolin, a veteran researcher on Middle East and Mediterranean studies at Zhejiang University, told Chinese media that China's consistent position on this issue is to reject attempts to politicize the deal and stay focused on negotiations.
Ma said that “the upcoming meeting between Xi and Raisi may bring more hope” in terms of the resumption of negotiations on the deal.
In addition to meeting the Chinese president, Raisi is also to meet China’s Prime Minister Li Keqiang and chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress Li Zhanshu during his visit to Beijing.
A day before the visit, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said Beijing and Tehran enjoy ties based on “traditional friendship”, and “cementing and developing the ties is the joint strategic choice of both sides.”
China Daily quoted Wang as saying that Iran and China seek to further “play constructive roles in boosting unity and collaboration among Middle East countries and facilitating the region's security and stability.”
Mohammad Jamshidi, the Iranian deputy presidential chief of staff for political affairs, said the main goal of Raisi’s visit to China is to finalize the implementation of a 25-year partnership agreement that was signed between China and Iran in 2021.
It also quoted Li Shaoxian, director of Ningxia University's China-Arab Research Institute, as saying that China and Iran have a long history of friendly relations and are natural partners who support each other's core interests.
Li went on to say that Iran is an ideal country in the Middle East for advancing the Belt and Road Initiative, and cooperation with China is key for Iran's economic development.
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