Pars Today- Approximately 5 years have passed since the last time when Araghchi, as Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister, went to Beijing in 2019 to participate in the “Joint Consultative Commission on JCPOA”. But, now, he has gone again to the country on the threshold of the Chinese New Year or Spring Feast.
Seyyed Abbas Araghchi, Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran, talked to his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi in Beijing. Experts maintain that this visit has important messages. According to Pars Today, Iranian daily Qods wrote on the issue in an opinion titled, “Golden half a century ahead of Iran and China”. As he arrived in Beijing, the senior Iranian official said about the reason for his trip to this capital, “The main goals are the regional and international consultations and bilateral exchange of views. The relations have always been good and are also good, now. Naturally, we have to continue our like-mindedness on various issues.”
He added, “We have had close consultations with China in the regional and international issues during the past years. Now, too, there are sensitive conditions. The region is in imbroglio and there are different issues in the international arena. Moreover, our nuclear issue will face a situation in the new year which we need to have more consultations.”
On right side of history
Nearly 5 years have passed since the last time when Araghchi, as Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister, went to Beijing in 2019 to participate in the “Joint Consultative Commission on JCPOA”. But, now, he has gone again to the country on the threshold of the Chinese New Year or Spring Feast to discuss a variety of different issues.
Before his trip, the Iranian foreign minister wrote on People’s Daily, which is among the most valid Chinese papers, “To confront unilateralism and bullying, Tehran and Beijing will stand on the side of development, welfare, cooperation and friendship among the global south countries and on the right side of history.”
Iran and China, as the two ancient Asian civilizations, are the friends of tough times which have passed tests successfully in order to fulfill their role as two responsible countries in securing peace and development of human community. The next golden half a century of Iran-China relations will show that this trip is the beginning of a new chapter for strategic and pragmatic cooperation between the two countries, especially as the Chinese sages say, “Actions speak louder than words.”
Development of relations to strategic level
The senior Iranian diplomat’s remarks upon his arrival in China indicates Tehran’s pragmatic approach for closeness to the Yellow Dragon and Beijing’s realistic welcome for the issue.
Former Iranian Ambassador to China, Javad Mansouri, pointing to the issue, in his interview with daily Qods, explained on the achievements of Araghchi from his trip to this southeast Asian country, “The mutual relations have a historical and long record which have been even completed in some fields of regional interests and cultural records.”
He added, “There is still the capacity for cooperation and exchange [of views] and the two sides are inclined to turn the potential capacities into practical ones. In view of this, the 25-year program of mutual joint cooperation has different dimensions which has targeted the ultimate enhancement of relations to the strategic level. On the other hand, discussion and exchange of views on Iran’s nuclear issue will be put on the agenda to reach a joint opinion in the face of the American and European hostile approach.
As Araghchi has said the nuclear issue needs further consultations. Thus, I think that the foreign minister is supposed to embark on discussions of major relations and strategic ties since the global conditions require such a cooperation and, in such conditions, the Chinese government enjoys both the facilities and the motive to broach on such an interaction.”
Iran won’t wait for West
Some believe that the 14th administration, with its reformist approach, has paid too much attention to revival of relations with the West and management of tension with it on the basis of the JCPOA, but the hostile approach of the other party and imposition of several rounds of sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran during the recent months, have practically overshadowed the improvement of ties with the US and Europe.
Therefore, these people say that Araghchi’s trip to China and Masoud Pezeshkian’s planned upcoming trip to Russia (January 17, 2025) is a sign of despair with improvement of ties with the West and change of the country’s strategy towards the East.
However, Javad Mansouri, pointing to the US hostile approach towards the two countries, which has prepared the ground for Tehran and Beijing proximity, said, “Washington has kept making troubles and creating challenges for the recent years, and the officials of Beijing, weary of this conduct of the White House, are naturally inclined to cooperate with the members of Shanghai and BRICS to counter the United States; an issue which has been heeded by Iran, too.”
The former Iranian envoy to China made it clear, “Yet, definitely, the Islamic Republic of Iran will not restrict its foreign policy to a limited package and as the saying goes, ‘Won’t put all its eggs in one basket’. At the moment, we cooperate with Latin America, Africa and East Asia.
Tehran does not insist on having relations with few countries and, naturally, if there is a challenge with Europe, it is because they don’t want to recognize our interests and enter interaction with us from an equal position. But, there are no limits in relations with other countries and, that’s why, we are active in the treaties of BRICS, Eurasia, Shanghai and ECO. But, naturally, owing to the current ties in the international arena, China is more prepared for interaction and our approach, too, is based on rational justification and quite realistic.”
The re-publication of the articles of other media on Pars Today does not mean to confirm their content and this is just for information of readers.
Key phrases; Iran and China relations, Western unilateralism, Seyyed Abbas Araghchi, Iranian Foreign Minister
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