(CNSNews.com) – Iran’s U.S.-sanctioned president begins his first official visit to China on Tuesday, at a time when Tehran and Beijing are strengthening ties with each other – and with Moscow – in a deepening partnership against what they view as U.S. hegemony.
President Ebrahim Raisi told reporters before flying out of Tehran that Iran and China share common positions on “countering unilateralism and maintaining our political independence.”
In an op-ed in the Chinese Communist Party paper People’s Daily, Raisi enlarged on the subject, writing that while bilateral ties had long been good, “[t]he alignment of the two countries in the new state of the international order can lead to the strengthening of these relations.”
China and Iran were “against hegemony” and viewed “coercive measures, including oppressive sanctions” as a main cause of instability, he said, alluding to U.S. sanctions against both countries.
“Any attempt by bullying countries to politicize and ultimately deprive nations of their rights by abusing international mechanisms is condemned.”
Accompanied by a large political and business delegation – including the ministers of foreign affairs, economy, petroleum, trade, agriculture, transport and urban development – Raisi’s three-day visit is the first to China by an Iranian president in nine years.
Despite that time lag, the two governments collaborate closely at the United Nations, and Beijing backed Iran’s successful bid last year to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a 20-year-old Eurasian bloc dominated by Russia and China.
China has also voiced support for Iran’s bid to join the bloc of leading emerging economies known as BRICS, currently comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
Since 2019, Iran has been holding annual joint naval exercises with both China and Russia, and Iran and China signed a 25-year comprehensive cooperation agreement in 2021.
China and Iran have sided diplomatically with the Kremlin over the invasion of Ukraine, and Iran has provided Russia with combat drones used against targets in Ukraine. The U.S. government says while China’s support is political, economic, and rhetorical, it has not confirmed the provision by Beijing of lethal material for Russia’s war.
Two-way trade has also been on the rise. Between March last year and January this year, China exported $12.7 billion worth of goods to Iran and imported Iranian goods worth $12.6 billion, according to Iranian customs data.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said on Monday that China and Iran have seen steady progress as they coordinate “international and regional affairs in defense of the principle of non-interference in internal affairs and the common interest of developing countries.”
Beijing looks forward to working with Iran to further develop their comprehensive strategic partnership, he said.
“The presidents of Iran and China will meet this week – and they won’t be singing America’s praises,” tweeted Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.). “The budding partnership between these authoritarian regimes signals a growing threat to the free world and our allies.”
“As the corrupt leader of Tehran’s regime travels to Beijing, we are reminded of the threat both pose to the U.S. and democratic order worldwide,” said Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.). “The Biden administration must take these warning signals seriously as China and Iran seek to deepen their bilateral ties.”