China and Iran seek to boost infrastructure and energy links as cooperation agreement comes into force
- Foreign ministers Wang Yi and Hossein Amirabdollahian say the 25-year deal, signed last year, is now being implemented
- Beijing also signals its support for Iran in the latest round of nuclear talks and says the US is responsible for the current impasse
The landmark China-Iran comprehensive cooperation agreement, signed in March last year and which moved into its implementation phase on Friday, will see the two countries expand cooperation on energy, infrastructure, production capacity, science and technology, and medicine and health care, according to a statement from China’s foreign ministry.
Bilateral cooperation will also be expanded to third-party markets, and in areas including agriculture, fisheries and cybersecurity, as well as people-to-people and cultural exchanges, according to the statement which did not give further details.
China has become Iran’s lifeline since Washington reimposed sweeping sanctions on Tehran.
China ramped up its purchases of cheap Iranian crude last month after independent refiners were granted additional import quotas for 2021. The nation imported almost 18 million barrels in November, equivalent to about 600,000 barrels a day, according to market intelligence firm Kpler.
