Iran, China Urged to Strengthen Private Sector Economic Relations

TEHRAN (Iran News) During the ceremony, Fereydoun Verdi-Nejad, who previously served as Iran’s ambassador to China, emphasized the urgent need to strengthen private sector economic relations between the two nations.

Verdi-Nejad highlighted the global context in which Iran and China now operate, noting that “intense international competition and Western—particularly American—efforts to diminish the role of Asia in global value chains make it essential for Iran and China to collaborate on securing regional and global supply chains.”

He urged Iran to develop joint projects with China in key sectors such as advanced agriculture, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, mining, modern infrastructure, and food industries. By leveraging its logistical advantages, transit routes, and untapped natural reserves, Iran could become a key technological partner in major regional initiatives such as China’s Belt and Road Initiative and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), he said.

The Tehran Chamber’s Secretary-General presented a number of practical proposals for enhancing bilateral trade and investment. He emphasized the importance of Iran and China joining international and regional coalitions that resist unilateral sanctions and promote multilateralism and rule-based trade systems.

Verdi-Nejad also called for the creation of a regional dialogue forum aimed at ensuring the security of energy production and supply chains and strengthening transit corridors across Asia. To that end, he proposed forming a joint operational task force to oversee the implementation of the 25-year comprehensive cooperation agreement between Iran and China, with a clear timetable and regular progress reports.

One of his more innovative suggestions was the creation of a digital platform to monitor bilateral and multilateral cooperation. This would include a digital barter system allowing trade in goods using Iranian rials and Chinese yuan, backed by the two countries’ central banks.

Verdi-Nejad also urged enhanced cooperation within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to address legal and cyber threats to national economies. “Joint scientific and practical collaboration is essential to counter sanctions and organized cyber and physical attacks on productive assets,” he said.

The former ambassador proposed establishing joint financial institutions and insurance mechanisms to facilitate trade, along with mutual transport companies in the road and rail sectors. Such ventures could link western China through Iran to Europe, extending as far as the Netherlands—further advancing the Belt and Road vision.

He underscored the need for preferential and supportive tariffs to enhance market competitiveness and attract Chinese investment in renewable energy, suggesting “a cooperative business model” to structure these partnerships.

Verdi-Nejad also called for stronger cooperation between the private sectors and chambers of commerce of both countries, saying Iran must create “legal, commercial, and transport infrastructure” to actively integrate into regional value chains. Private sector participation in platforms such as the Boao Forum for Asia and other Asian and Eurasian dialogues would, he argued, give Iran a stronger presence in the evolving Asian economic architecture.

Alaeddin Boroujerdi, head of the Iran-China Friendship Group and current member of parliament, echoed these views in his remarks. He said Iran, as one of the world’s largest oil and gas producers, possesses vast untapped potential that must be realized through concrete action. “The 25-year cooperation roadmap between our two countries is a vital framework,” he said, adding that it is now the responsibility of Iranian officials—particularly diplomats in China—to implement it.

Boroujerdi also stressed the central role of Iran’s people and private sector in overcoming the country’s challenges. “Since the victory of the Islamic Revolution, the Iranian people have been key to solving national problems,” he said. “In today’s economic arena, the private sector, represented by the Chamber of Commerce, must play a leading role in advancing trade and development.”

He urged the Iranian government to empower private enterprises by transferring operational responsibilities for commercial and economic affairs from state institutions to private hands.

Ali Mohammadi, Iran’s Consul General in Shanghai, referred to the centuries-old ties between Iran and China dating back to the ancient Silk Road. He noted that the bilateral relationship is “founded not merely on economic interests but on mutual respect and strategic cooperation.”

He described the new trade development center as a platform that could strengthen collaboration in high-tech industries, knowledge-based production, and the supply of industrial raw materials.

“The Consulate stands ready to assist business leaders from both nations,” Mohammadi said. “We will use every diplomatic and administrative resource available to help the private sectors of Iran and China expand their cooperation in a secure and efficient environment.”

At the conclusion of the ceremony, Ebrahim Yousef-Nejad, head of the newly established Iran Trade Development Center in Shanghai, presented plaques of appreciation to Fereydoun Verdi-Nejad, Alaeddin Boroujerdi, and Ali Mohammadi for their contributions to strengthening Iran-China relations.

As a symbolic gesture, Mahmoud Najafi Arab and Fereydoun Verdi-Nejad signed a commemorative poster marking the opening of the center—signaling a renewed commitment to deepening economic ties between the two nations, with the private sector taking the lead in a new era of cooperation.