Iran Rejects Disinformation about China Deal
Iran Rejects Disinformation about China Deal
A senior Iranian Foreign Ministry official slammed a “disinformation” campaign that seeks to stoke fears about the impacts of a potential agreement between Iran and China.

TEHRAN (Iran News) – A senior Iranian Foreign Ministry official slammed a “disinformation” campaign that seeks to stoke fears about the impacts of a potential deal between Iran and China.

In remarks published on Saturday, Reza Zabib, a foreign minister aide for South Asia, dismissed the hypothetical figures” reported in the media about Iran-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, saying nothing has yet been finalized about the deal.

The objective of those who spread this disinformation is to destroy the (bilateral) relations, to prevent the signing of the deal and to pile accusations on the (Iranian) government and system,” said Zabib.

The Iranian diplomat also said that scaremongering about the deal is an attempt by certain political elements inside Iran to extract information about the deal and to force the Iranian government to disclose more information about the ongoing talks with China.

He said that Iran and China are now in agreement about at least 75 percent of the terms of a draft deal that was proposed by Iran during a visit to Beijing last year by Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

Zabib said that the Iran-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership will allow the two countries to expand ties in three main fields of politics, military, and economy.

He said that the economic part of the agreement would cover a wide range of areas, including energy, technology, and infrastructure.

Zabibs comments come against the backdrop of criticism suggesting that Iran has offered major discounts on its future sales of oil to China in return for Beijings long-term and sizable investment in the country.

Iranian authorities have dismissed the claims while also insisting that the potential deal with China would not be attempt to offset the failure of a 2015 nuclear agreement involving major Western powers.

Zabib said China has always been a major economic partner for Iran, even at the times of normal relations between Tehran and some Western countries.

Iranian president’s chief of staff, Mahmoud Vaezi, also dismissed as illusions” some speculations about the 25-year cooperation agreement with China, saying the roadmap does not entail foreign control on Iranian islands or the presence of military forces by any means.

Vaezi said the 25-year agreement with China defines a roadmap to mutual cooperation without any discussion about Irans southern islands or deployment of military forces.

The media speculations about the deal are just illusions and rumors” spread by certain parties who try to disrupt Irans relations with China, he said.

Vaezi said the frameworks of the agreement have been defined, but it has not been finalized yet.

Any binding agreement must be ratified by the Iranian Parliament, so that nothing would be hidden from the countrys legal bodies, he underlined, assuring the people that the agreement with China would comply with the Iranian Constitution.

Press TV and Tasnim contributed to this story.

  • source : Iran Daily, Irannews