TEHRAN (Iran News) The proposed “Herat–Mazar-e-Sharif–Wakhan” railway line is described as a strategic project that would connect China by rail to Europe and West Asia via Afghanistan, Iran, and Turkey, playing a significant role in expanding regional and global trade and transit.

Earlier this month, the rail connection and its economic and investment significance were discussed during a meeting between Afghanistan’s acting deputy minister of public works and the CEO of the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways.

Experts have stressed the importance of strengthening rail links with neighboring countries, noting that enhancing freight connectivity with China has become a necessity.

Since the beginning of the current Iranian year, more than 63 freight trains from China bound for Iran and the European Union have entered the country, compared with just seven trains operating on the route last year. The signing of six-party memorandums of understanding to establish unified tariffs along the corridor is expected to further activate the southern branch of the East–West corridor passing through Iran.

Officials estimate that, following agreements among six countries along the China–Europe route, annual train traffic could rise to 300 trains.

Shahriar Naghi-Zadeh, Director General of International Commerce at the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways, said the company has proposed an initiative aimed at improving trade and transport relations between Iran and China.

Under the plan, the Iran–China rail link would pass through Afghanistan using standard gauge tracks (1,435 mm), resolving transit bottlenecks at China’s borders with Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan.

Naghi-Zadeh explained that the project is designed to allow trains to travel directly from China to Europe without the need to change bogies or transfer cargo between wide-gauge and standard-gauge wagons.

The proposal has reportedly been welcomed by the parties involved, and technical studies are currently underway to assess investment requirements.

The project includes constructing a 64-kilometer rail segment to Herat and extending the line to Mazar-e-Sharif, ultimately connecting through Afghanistan’s Wakhan region to China’s Xinjiang province. The route is considered geographically challenging, and in addition to Iranian firms, Afghan companies have expressed readiness to participate in construction.

According to Naghi-Zadeh, developing Afghanistan’s rail network on a standard gauge would not only offer economic benefits but also strengthen Afghanistan’s integration with Iran’s rail system.

Officials say the new route would offer significant time and cost advantages compared to existing corridors, which currently require transshipment at two points — the China–Kazakhstan border and the Turkmenistan–Iran border. Transshipment, the transfer of cargo to an intermediate destination before reaching its final destination, increases both transit time and costs.

If implemented, the project is expected to reduce transport distances between China and Iran by around 50 percent and enable direct freight train operations to Europe, potentially transforming regional rail transport and boosting trade ties between Tehran and Beijing. “Iran-China”

Earlier, Jabar Ali Zakeri, CEO of the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways, announced the formation of a new cargo and transit corridor to Afghanistan. He noted that rail exports and transit from Iran to Afghanistan totaled 15,000 tons during the first eight months of the previous year, compared with 570,000 tons in the first 10 months of the current year. “Iran-China”

Zakeri added that rail exports and transit to Afghanistan reached 94,000 tons in the Iranian month of Dey and are expected to surpass 120,000 tons in Bahman. Projections for the next year indicate volumes could reach three million tons, including transit of goods from the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Russia.

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TEHRAN (Iran News)  Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf says discussions regarding cooperation between Iran and China should move beyond words to tangible actions.

In his address at the open session of the Parliament on Saturday, Ghalibaf highlighted the long-standing historical ties and deep-rooted connections between the two ancient Asian civilizations.

Ghalibaf said that Tehran and Beijing enjoy unique capacities for ensuring sustainable peace and security and for fostering a more equitable regional and international order.

He pointed out that the development and security of both nations are historically and geopolitically intertwined, noting that both sides are well aware that their shared global destiny will lay the foundation for a new international order.

Reaffirming the Parliament’s strong belief in the necessity for Iran-China cooperation across all agreed-upon levels to shift from mere words to concrete action, Ghalibaf referred to the ongoing Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit as a historic opportunity to challenge unilateralism and strengthen operational cooperation in security, economic, and infrastructural domains.

Elsewhere in his remarks, he said that Russia and China, as two members of the UN Security Council, have declared the so-called mechanism illegal.

In a related development, President Masoud Pezeshkian has arrived in Beijing to participate in significant commemorations marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and to attend a grand military parade hosted by China.

The president’s arrival comes shortly after he traveled from Tianjin, where he participated in the 25th SCO summit and the SCO Plus meeting.

President Pezeshkian was invited by Chinese President Xi Jinping to attend these pivotal events. His journey to Beijing included a high-speed train trip from Tianjin, reaching speeds of up to 350 km/h.

During his stay in Beijing, the president is scheduled to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping. He will also engage in discussions with Iranian expatriates residing in China.

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TEHRAN (Iran News) Majid-Reza Hariri, President of the Iran-China Chamber of Commerce, told ILNA that overall trade between Tehran and Beijing reached $65 billion last year, including oil exports, marking a steady upward trend in economic ties.

“Even with sanctions acting as a major obstacle, our trade with China has been expanding,” Hariri said. “If we account for indirect trade conducted via the UAE due to sanctions, the real figure is even higher.”

Hariri compared the current level with past years, noting that in 2014 and 2015—during the implementation of the JCPOA—trade with China, including oil, stood at about $51.8 billion.

According to Hariri, of the $65 billion trade volume, $30 billion came from Iranian oil exports to China. Non-oil exports reached about $16 billion, while Chinese exports to Iran were under $20 billion.

“In total, Iran’s exports to China exceeded $40 billion, which means that when oil is included, the trade balance has consistently been in Iran’s favor,” he explained.

Responding to speculation that Iranian oil revenues are withheld in China, Hariri firmly rejected the claim.

“Last year, about $24 billion was allocated for importing medicine and food at the government-set exchange rate, and this was funded by oil sales. Apart from China, to whom else are we selling oil? Clearly, the Central Bank receives the money,” he said.

Hariri clarified that the real challenge lies in non-oil exports: “The payments for non-oil exports to China are being routed through Dubai, forcing Iranian importers to repurchase dirhams and convert them again to pay for Chinese goods. We want this revenue to remain in China for direct use in imports, but this is not happening.”

He also noted that food and medicine imports into Iran come from various countries, not just China, pointing to soy meal and edible oils sourced elsewhere.

Hariri stressed that revenues from non-oil exports—mainly petrochemicals, refined oil products, natural gas, and mining commodities such as copper concentrate—are also safe: “If the Chinese side does not pay, shipments will not be loaded for export.”

Asked about the potential impact of reactivating the UN “snapback” mechanism, Hariri said it was too early to judge. “Oil Money”

“So far, China’s official stance has been clear. Over the past two months, Chinese officials have publicly reiterated more than five times that Beijing does not recognize or comply with unilateral U.S. sanctions. The Chinese ambassador again confirmed this position,” he stated.

Hariri pointed out that UN Security Council resolutions against Iran target the nuclear and missile sectors rather than trade, and their main effect is psychological. “The key is how well we can neutralize this psychological impact,” he said.

The Iran-China Chamber is preparing to send two major trade delegations to China in the coming months, Hariri added.

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TEHRAN (Iran News)  Judiciary Chief says the Islamic Republic and China can expand bilateral political, executive, and judicial relations, emphasizing the important role of the 25-year strategic document in enhancing cooperation between the two countries.

Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, who is in China to participate in the 20th Meeting of Chief Justices of the Supreme Courts of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), met with Senior Communist Party of China (CPC) official Chen Wenqing on Wednesday.

During the meeting, Mohseni-Ejei highlighted Iran’s firm stance on maintaining international and regional peace and security while opposing unilateralism and all forms of terrorism. “Iran-China”

He also said that Iran has stood against various threats over the past decades and confronted terrorism strategically, ensuring national security.

Referring to the long-standing ties and potential for further cooperation, he said that Tehran and Beijing can elevate their political, executive, and judicial relations.

Iran’s judiciary chief, heading a high-ranking judicial delegation, started a visit to China on Monday to participate in the 20th Meeting of Chief Justices of the Supreme Courts of the SCO.

Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, who is in China to participate in the 20th Meeting of Chief Justices of the Supreme Courts of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), met with Senior Communist Party of China (CPC) official Chen Wenqing on Wednesday.

During the meeting, Mohseni-Ejei highlighted Iran’s firm stance on maintaining international and regional peace and security while opposing unilateralism and all forms of terrorism. “Iran-China”

He also said that Iran has stood against various threats over the past decades and confronted terrorism strategically, ensuring national security.

Referring to the long-standing ties and potential for further cooperation, he said that Tehran and Beijing can elevate their political, executive, and judicial relations.

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According to China’s Customs data, the Asian country’s export of products to Iran accounted for $6 billion of the total trade, Tasnim News Agency reported.

China’s export to the Islamic Republic in the January-July 2023 registered a 17 percent growth compared to the same period last year.

Also, China imported $2.540 billion worth of products from Iran in the mentioned seven months, registering a 43 percent drop compared to last year’s corresponding period.

China had exported $5.130 billion worth of products to Iran from January to July 2022.

According to China’s customs administration, the trade balance of the two countries in this period reached $3.460 billion in favor of China.

The value of Iran’s economic exchanges with its leading trade partner, China, stood at $6.5 billion during the first sixth months of 2023.

Based on China’s customs data, the six-month trade between the two countries had not changed significantly in comparison to the figure for the same period in the previous year.

Meanwhile as announced by the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA), Iran exported non-oil commodities valued at $4.644 billion to China during the first four months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21-July 22).

As reported, China was the top export destination of Iranian non-oil goods in the mentioned four-month period.

The IRICA also announced that exporting non-oil goods worth $5.558 billion to Iran, China was Iran’s second source of import in the first four months of this year.

According to the data released by China’s customs administration, the Islamic Republic and China traded $15.795 billion worth of commodities in 2022, $1.035 billion more than the figure for 2021.

As reported, China’s exports to Iran grew by 14 percent in the period under review compared to the preceding year to reach $9.44 billion. The Asian country exported $8.258 billion worth of goods to Iran in 2021.

The value of Iran’s non-oil exports to China, however, registered a two-percent decrease in 2022, reaching $6.355 billion. Iran exported $6.502 billion worth of goods to China in 2021.

Iran’s share of China’s total global trade last year was only 0.25 percent. China’s trade with the world reached $6.308 trillion in 2022, of which $3.593 trillion was the share of the country’s exports and $2.715 trillion was related to imports. China’s global trade grew by 4.4 percent last year.

China is one of Iran’s main trade partners that has maintained strong trade ties with the Islamic Republic despite the strict U.S. sanctions.

Iran and China officially signed the document for 25-year comprehensive cooperation in March 2021.

The document was signed between Iran’s former Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the Iranian Foreign Ministry.

Back in December 2022, Iran and China finalized 16 memorandums of understanding (MOU) under the framework of the two countries’ strategic 25-year agreement.

The MOUs were signed in an Iran-China comprehensive cooperation program summit which was held in Tehran on December 13 in the presence of Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber and China’s Vice Premier Hu Chunhua.

The summit was focused on four areas explored by four committees between the two countries with the aim of paving the way for the implementation of the 25-year agreement.

Iran and China also signed 20 memoranda of understanding in the presence of the presidents of the two countries in Beijing in mid-February.

Heading a high-ranking delegation, Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi was on a three-day state visit to China starting February 14.

During President Raisi’s visit to China, Tehran and Beijing signed a number of bilateral cooperation documents in the fields of agriculture, trade, tourism, environmental protection, health, disaster relief, culture, and sports.

The documents include agreements in the field of transportation and industry worth $12 billion and $3.5 billion, respectively; the agreements cover various joint projects like the high-speed rail link between Tehran and Mashhad, and investment in the Imam Khomeini Airport City.

Investment in Iran’s southeastern Mokran Coast and the purchase of Iranian oil were also mentioned in the documents.

Raisi’s visit served as an example of the high level of mutual trust between China and Iran, as well as a milestone for bilateral ties.

Then in mid-July, the agreements signed between Iran and China during President Raisi’s trip to Beijing in mid-February were turned into specified projects during the two countries’ joint cooperation committee meeting, the Iranian finance and economic affairs minister announced.

Ehsan Khandouzi left Tehran for Beijing on July 12 to attend the Iran-China Joint Cooperation Committee meeting, which was held after four and half years.

“With the constructive atmosphere of the committee, we will soon witness good events in the fields of business and investment”, the official wrote on his Twitter account on July 16.

Khandouzi further announced that Iran and China are going to begin execution of some joint projects agreed upon in February by the presidents of the two countries, as of the following month.

According to the minister, the necessary follow-ups regarding the mentioned projects have been made over the last five months and the final decisions for the start of their implementations were made during a joint business event on July 13.

“President Raisi had an important trip to Beijing last winter and good agreements were made with the president of China; in this regard, the necessary follow-ups were made by various ministries during the last five months, and on Thursday (July 13) the first joint committee between Iran and China was held after 4.5 years,” Khandouzi said.

“China is Iran’s largest trading partner and the most important destination for the export of Iranian goods and an important part of our imports are also from China. Last year, China’s share in Iran’s (non-oil) trade was 24 percent,” the minister added.

Back in early April, the Chinese ambassador to Tehran said this year is a good year for Iran-China relations.

Chang Hua made the remarks in a meeting with the members of the Iran-China Joint Chamber of Commerce and a number of Iranian traders and businessmen, who conduct trade with China, held at the place of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines, and Agriculture (ICCIMA) in Tehran.

Referring to China’s growing economy, the envoy said this year is a good year for Iran-China relations, adding that during the meeting between the leaders of the two countries, important agreements were made, including the implementation of the 25-year cooperation agreement between the two countries, and a number of bilateral cooperation documents were signed in the fields of agriculture, tourism, culture, relief, and rescue, etc.

Majid-Reza Hariri, the head of the Iran-China Joint Chamber, also emphasized the desire of Iran’s private sector to develop business relations with China and said there are obstacles in this direction. Among other things, issuing visas for Iranian businessmen, especially for their presence at trade fairs in China, is associated with problems, and facilitating it will definitely help the development of relations between the two sides.

EF/MA

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The maritime drills, dubbed “naval security belt combined war game 202,” kicked off on March 15 and will run through March 19, China’s Ministry of National Defense announced in a statement on Wednesday.

The drills will help “deepen practical cooperation among the navies of participating countries,” the statement pointed out.

The maritime exercise will reportedly involve forces from the marine and airborne units of the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy, and flotillas from China and Russia.

Iranian naval forces, together with their Chinese and Russian counterparts, have held several joint war games in recent years with the purpose of improving the security of international maritime trade, countering piracy and maritime terrorism, exchange of information in naval rescue and relief operations, and exchange of operational and tactical experiences.

Back in October last year, Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Shahram Irani said Iran planned to hold a joint naval exercise with China, Russia and a number of other countries in the northern tip of the Indian Ocean.

Irani said the joint exercise would be meant to boost up the combat capabilities of Iranian forces and falls within the framework of maritime diplomacy so as to ensure sustainable security.

He noted at the time that Iran had invited a number of member states of the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) – a forum aimed at increasing maritime cooperation among the littoral states of the Indian Ocean region, to take part in the naval drills.

The Navy chief added that the war games had been designed in accordance with an instruction book compiled by the Iranian Navy.

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The SRSF has issued a call for joint projects from the Iranian and Chinese researchers and technical experts that will receive support from the Iran National Science Foundation (INSF) -a department of the Iranian Vice Presidency for Science and Technology- and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

The program will sponsor joint research and development projects and hold joint workshops between the two countries’ researchers.

A maximum of six joint research projects will receive approval to benefit from the fund’s support in the fields of water science and advanced materials within the framework of research and development projects.

The call for projects will be open until June 19, as the Iranian researchers can submit their joint proposals in the Silk Road Science Fund’s online system.

The final results on the projects qualified to receive support from the fund will be announced in early October, and the joint research projects will officially kick off in January 2023.

Science diplomacy at highest level

Data from the Scopus International Citation Database show that Iran’s scientific diplomacy has reached more than 34 percent since the beginning of 2021, the highest level in the past 20 years.

Science diplomacy is the use of scientific collaborations among nations to address common problems and build constructive international partnerships. It is a form of new diplomacy and has become an umbrella term to describe a number of formal or informal technical, research-based, academic, or engineering exchanges, within the general field of international relations.

Comparing the rate of 2020 with 2019, Iran with a growth of 12.5 percent and with a slight difference from India has gained second place in the world in terms of the growth of world science diplomacy, Mohammad Javad Dehghani, head of the Islamic World Science Citation Center (ISC), said.

In 2011, the share of Iranian articles with international participation was about 16.5 percent, which increased to 19.7 percent in 2016 and gradually in the following years, so that in 2020 and 2021, reached 30.5 and 34.2 percent, respectively, he added.

The share of Iranian articles with international participation has had significant growth of 209 percent during an eight-year period (2013-2020), becoming the Islamic world’s leading country in science diplomacy, according to the Scopus International Citation Database.

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The value of trade between the two countries in January-March 2021 stood at $3.25 billion, Tasnim news agency reported.

Based on the mentioned data, China’s imports from Iran in the first quarter of 2022 grew by 30 percent compared to the previous year and reached $1.93 billion. China had imported $1.48 billion worth of goods from Iran in Q1 2021.

China’s exports to Iran in January-March 2022 also increased by eight percent to reach $1.92 billion from $1.77 billion in the previous year’s same period.

Iran-China non-oil trade stood at $14.8 billion in 2021, according to China’s customs administration.

The value of trade between the two countries during the previous year declined by less than one percent in comparison to 2020 in which the figure was reported to be $14.9 billion.

China’s imports from Iran in 2021 grew by more than one percent compared to the previous year and reached $6.5 billion. China had imported $6.4 billion worth of goods from Iran in 2020.

However, China’s exports to Iran in January-December 2021 fell by about two percent to $8.3 billion from $8.5 billion in the previous year.

Iran mainly exports foodstuff and agricultural products to China while importing machinery and industrial raw materials, medical equipment, fabrics, and auto parts.

China is one of Iran’s main trade partners that has maintained strong trade ties with the Islamic Republic despite the strict U.S sanctions.

Iran and China officially signed the document for 25-year comprehensive cooperation in March 2021.

The document was signed between Iran’s former Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the Iranian Foreign Ministry.

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According to the reports, Iran-China Chamber of Commerce in collaboration of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and embassies of the two countries will hold this webinar “50 Years of Iran-China Relations and Looking Ahead” on Tuesday morning.

Iran’s Ambassador to China Mohammad Reza Keshavarz Zadeh, Head of Iran-China Joint Chamber of Commerce Mr. Majid Reza Hariri, China’s Ambassador to Tehran Mr. Chang Hua and Vice-President of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade are to deliver speech.

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Speaking to ILNA and touching upon the beginning of the 25-year cooperation document between Iran and China, Mostofi said that time is passing and the country needs boosting its bilateral cooperation with different countries to boost its economic growth and China is one of them and currently the biggest trade partner of Tehran.

She added that Iran and China are countries with historic background which have long ties, adding that China not only has trade tie with Iran but also has ties in different fields like security, diplomacy and cultural. And the One Road One Belt project can link different civilization and the Silk Road in the past began from Xian and passed from Iran and the silk trade was done via this road.

Mostofi added that since Iran is located in a strategic point, it can connect the east to the west and the south to the north. She added that due to having gas and oil resources as well as good infrastructures in the country and China’s need to energy, this cooperation document can be a win-win cooperation for both sides.

She stipulated that all depends on the details of the documents and the demands of the both sides. She reiterated that the country needs to cooperate with the world especially in the economic issues and this document can also be good but since its details are not revealed and kept in secret, it causes concerns in the society.

Mostofi reiterated that a document is good when it has a win-win condition for both sides and not for one and China is Iran’s major trade partner which will be the economy number one in the world by 2030 and therefore trade with China will benefit us. She noted that but all depends on the details of the agreements and it is better details of the document to be announced for better analyzing it.

She went on to say that Tehran Chamber of Commerce had set a committee on the document and had worked on it for six months and it has decided the country can cooperate with China in eight fields like infrastructures, technical and engineering, developing ITC projects, agriculture, energy, health, environment and banking and monetary.

Mostofi noted that due to what has happened in Sri Lanka and Cambodia, she recommends Iran not to get loans with China and it suggests Iran to attract investments.

She also defended China and said China has good quality goods which are exported to the U.S. and Europe but unfortunately Iranian traders import the low quality goods from China which has painted a negative picture of Chinese goods in the country.

Mostofi added that on the whole, China can be a good trade partner but Tehran should be focused on the details of the agreements and it should pursue win-win agreements. She admitted that the private sector can play a good role in the trade but unfortunately in the country the private sector is ignored.

She also called for the launch of joint Tehran-Beijing bank for resolving their banking problems.

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