Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has hailed Iran’s “strategic partnership” with China, saying developments on the world stage cannot affect the friendship between the two partners, whose bilateral ties have seen a significant boost over the past five decades.

Zarif wrote an article for The People’s Daily on Tuesday to mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Iran and the People’s Republic of China.
“Tehran-Beijing relations have developed significantly in the past half a century, with bilateral ties being constantly on the rise and cooperation in various fields turning Iran and China into reliable partners [for one another],” he wrote.
Zarif also noted that exchanges between Iran and China have a long history and that the two states maintain their trade and cultural ties through the ancient Silk Road.

Both countries, he added, are committed to a politically independent foreign policy, pursue economic cooperation and support each other in different international issues.
“In January 2016, Iran-China relations were upgraded to the level of strategic partnership. The leaders of the two countries have repeatedly stressed that changes on the international scene will not affect friendly relations between them,” the top Iranian diplomat wrote.
“Iran-China relations have withstood the test of time, especially in the difficult time of the coronavirus pandemic… The two countries have unconditionally backed each other in various fields and achieved useful results,” he added