“Fruitful talks in beautiful Tengchong with my friend Wang Yi on Iran-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership,” Zarif tweeted after meeting Wang in the western city of Tengchong.

Both sides “rejected US unilateralism and US attempts to create unipolar world”, Zarif wrote on his Twitter account.

The top diplomat also said they agreed on “strengthening our ties” and discussed a range of issues including a 25-year Sino-Iranian Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, regional cooperation, collaboration on a coronavirus vaccine and preserving the Iran 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

Zarif, who was heading a high-ranking delegation, was welcomed by Chinese officials in the southern province of Yunnan on Friday.

Earlier, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said the meeting would take place on the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries, Press TV wrote.

Tehran and Beijing “are determined to further expand their strategic partnership,” he tweeted, adding that China is Iran’s “1st economic partner” despite the US “maximum pressure” campaign against the Islamic Republic.

China enjoys friendly ties with Iran and remains a party to the 2015 nuclear agreement, from which the US withdrew in 2018 and subsequently targeted the Iranian nation with the “toughest ever” economic sanctions.

Iran and China are working to finalize the 25-year Sino-Iranian Comprehensive Strategic Partnership agreement, which was announced in a joint statement during a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to Tehran in 2016.

The cooperation roadmap consists of 20 articles, covering Tehran-Beijing ties in “Political,” “Executive Cooperation,” “Human and Cultural,” “Judiciary, Security and Defense,” and “Regional and International” domains, according to the statement released back then.

To America’s dismay, the deal is crafted to help the two sides ditch dollar in bilateral trade and bypass the American sanctions.

According to the Iranian Foreign Ministry’s official website, Iran’s top diplomat Mohammad Javad Zarif and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi will discuss bilateral ties as well as regional and international issues.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh announced the trip on Thursday.

There is consensus between the two countries in important areas, including confrontation against the United States’ unilateralism and worldwide interventionism, the spokesman said.

On the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, Iran and China are determined to further expand their strategic partnership, Khatibzadeh tweeted later on Thursday, adding, “In spite of US max pressure, China is Iran’s 1st economic partner.”

“Maximum pressure” is US President Donald Trump administration’s trademark policy towards Iran. Under the campaign, the US left the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a multilateral, internationally-lauded, and historic nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers, Press TV wrote.

The US administration then took another unilateral and illegal move by returning the sanctions that the JCPOA had lifted. Afterwards, it began threatening third countries against keeping up their trade with Iran as the nuclear deal has permitted.

Countries sustaining their business dealings with Iran, including by continuing to buy oil from the Islamic Republic, risk coming under Washington’s “secondary sanctions.”

A JCPOA member, China has never acknowledged the US’ anti-Iran intentions, protecting the Sino-Iranian trade in all its glory and maintaining its vital imports of Iranian crude oil.

The two sides are fast-tracking the implementation of the Sino-Iranian Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, a roadmap outlining the quality of their strategic ties that was announced jointly in 2016.

To America’s dismay, the deal is crafted to help the two sides ditch the US dollar in bilateral trade and bypass US sanctions.