TEHRAN (Iran News) – Iran-China Joint Chamber of Commerce held a webinar to review the Iran-China trade cooperation in 2020 and the outlook of the economic relation in 2021 where the participants exchanged views for improving cooperation, and criticized some unfair, biased, wrong, and unprofessional remarks on Iran-China relation which may harm it, and called for shaping a positive public opinion regarding China among the public and the officials.

Head of Iran-China Joint Chamber of Commerce Majis Reza Hariri addressing the webinar hailed the activities of the Iran Embassy in Beijing especially since the outbreak of coronavirus and said Iran Ambassador to Beijing Mr. Mohammad Keshavarz Zadeh has used all capacities of the embassy to help the relation between the two countries to improve but unfortunately the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus did not let him fully take advantage of capacities.

He further said the 50th anniversary of Iran-China relations and the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Iran-China Joint Chamber of Commerce are two major events of 2021. He further said most of the economic activists of the country criticize the existing bureaucracy in the country as well as the approach of state officials regarding the expansion of ties with China. He expressed hope officials understand the importance of ties between Iran and China and try to develop them.

He also criticized media sabotage which is seen against the ties with China, reiterating the current shaped negative media climate against China can affect the tie with this country and even ruin it.

Hariri also highlighted major programs of the chamber for 2021.

Then Iran Ambassador to China Mr. Keshavarz Zadehm for his part, said since Iran-China economic relation is in peril of sanctions, some part of Iran-China trade volume is confidential and it cannot be announced publicly.

He went on to say that since 2016, the relations between Iran and China have entered a new phase but due to some issues, what was expected to happen after China President’s visit to Tehran did not materialize, adding that but in 2019 we saw the then Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani’s visit to Beijing which was a turning point in the relation of the two countries in a way that Chinese officials insisted on launching the joint trade commission.

Keshavarz Zadeh further said despite the virus pandemic, the relation between Iran and China in different fields continues and the 25-year Iran-Chin program has been pursued at an acceptable level.

He then highlighted some of China’s government’s aids to Iran since the outbreak of the virus-like sending some medicines that Iran was unable to buy due to sanctions restrictions and halt in international flights. He also pointed to the opening of a financial channel for Iran by China for purchasing necessary commodities regarding the coronavirus.

He went on to say that unfortunately, some officials in the country do not have accurate information about China as China is progressing at high speed, adding that the volume of China’s foreign trade is $4,600b as the country could attract $144b of foreign direct investment last year while the country was one of the first major centers affected by the virus.

Keshavarz Zadeh reiterated that some of the non-expert and unprofessional remarks in the media climate are made against China which can affect the relations between the two countries. He said despite all political pressures, the relations between Tehran and Beijing have remained dynamic and one should not let it be ruined by wrong viewpoints and approaches especially in the current condition that Iran is facing sanctions and the condition is totally different from the past and most countries because of their fear of the U.S. are not ready to risk trading with Iran