China, Iran upgrade ties to enhance millennia-old friendship
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E-mail Xinhua, January 24, 2016
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| Chinese President Xi Jinping (R front) attends a grand welcome ceremony before talks with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (L front) in Tehran, Iran, Jan. 23, 2016. (Xinhua/Wang Ye) |
Practical cooperation
During the summit talks, the Chinese president listed a few priorities in the all-round practical cooperation with Iran -- energy, interconnectivity, industrial capacity and finance -- within the framework of Belt and Road Initiative, a vision Xi put forward in 2013 to boost interconnectivity and common development along the ancient land and maritime Silk Roads.
Xi called on the two countries to build a long-term and stable cooperative relationship in energy area, and carry out cooperation in railway, highway, port, mining, communications, engineering machinery and infrastructure construction.
The president urged the two sides to strengthen the communication and synergy of the economic and industrial policies for cooperation in industrial capacity, and study new patterns in financial cooperation and enhance collaboration within the China-initiated Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.
Rouhani echoed Xi's words saying that Iran will actively respond to the Belt and Road Initiative and carry out closer communication and coordination with China on international affairs.
A Memorandum of Understanding on jointly pursue the initiative between the two countries was signed after the talks.
Xi's visit has drawn wide applause in Iran, as the Middle East nation is wooing investment and international tourists in its post-sanction era.
According to an Iranian economic daily, the Financial Tribune, Chinese tourists currently make up barely 1 percent of the country's 5 million inbound tourists a year, and Iran wants more.
Iran has already simplified the visa process for Chinese nationals and is also taking further moves to lure Chinese tourists, the newspaper said Saturday.
"We are opening more Chinese restaurants and training travel guides to speak Chinese," it quoted Masoud Soltanifar, the head of the Iran Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization, as saying.
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