TEHRAN – Chinese President Xi Jinping met Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran late on Saturday.

In the meeting Ayatollah Khamenei said the decision by Iranian and Chinese presidents to agree on a 25-year strategic plan is “quite right and wise”.

He said Iran has always sought relations with “independent and trustworthy countries like China”.

The Leader asserted that Iran never forgets China’s cooperation during the days of sanctions.

“Westerners have never succeeded in attracting the trust of the Iranian nation,” Ayatollah Khamenei stressed, adding that the Islamic Republic has always eyed the East.

Leader called U.S. policies regarding Iran among Western states the worst and most brutal. Such brutal policies have caused the Iranian nation and government officials to pursue relations with independent countries, the Leader added.

The Leader went on to say that the issue of a “united China” is one of Islamic Republic of Iran’s explicit policies.

Referring to President Rouhani’s remarks regarding the development of Iran-China security cooperation, the Leader said unfortunately the Middle East region has become insecure due to the West’s wrong policies and misinterpretation of Islam.

The region has grown more insecure and there is a need to take wise steps to bring an end to the crisis.

Leader pointed out that some regional states are home to nurturing misreading of Islamic principles, emphasizing that the West, instead of confronting the root causes of such misinterpretations and terrorist groups, has pressured Muslims in Europe and America.

The Leader also abhorred Western countries including the U.S. which use the term “Islamic State” for some terrorist groups, saying such an approach is an insult to Muslims.

Instead of curing the problem indirectly the Westerners strengthen these terrorist groups, he lamented.

***** Xi says the birth of new economic chieftains is ending the Western monopoly


Following the leader’s word, President Xi Jinping expressed his happiness over his visit to Iran and thanked the people of Iran, saying that the friendship is an outcome of bilateral, cordial, and long-term cooperation and interaction between the two nations.
President Xi further noted that Sino-Iran relations should be based on “mutual interests”, calling for the expansion of ties.

Referring to the historical link between Iran and China through the ancient Silk Road, the president hailed the road as the symbol of “peace, progress, and cordial exchanges”.

The countries along the road can implement a new model other than the American scheme through boosting their cooperation so as to defend their interests and achieve their goals, Xi noted.

President Xi went on to say that some superpowers seek monopoly and the so-called “with-us-or-against-us” motto. However, to their disappointment, with the birth of new economic chieftains, they are losing control of the situation, making room for independent nations to follow their own guidelines.

The president gave China’s support for Iran in the nuclear dispute with the West and Iran’s backing of a unified, integrated China as examples of the new era where countries have shown belief in mutual trust.
Xi noted that China continues to develop independently and expressed his country’s preparedness to step up all-around ties with the post-sanctions Iran.
Highlighting Iran’s advantages in terms of its geographical characteristics, human resources, and energy reserves, Xi reminded that the economies of Iran and China complement one another and in line with this, the two countries have managed to agree on a 25-year strategic cooperation blueprint.

The president once again showed interest in deepening ties with Iran in all areas of culture, education, technology, military, and security at strategic levels.

A highlight in the remarks of China’s president was his emphasis on the necessity for drawing up a mechanism to tighten security cooperation between Iran and China in countering terrorism and addressing complex regional issues.

At the end, President Xi deemed the Leader’s remarks quite rich in far-sightedness and wisdom, saying that Iran’s Leader is highly regarded by the Chinese people and wished that he can contribute to the advancement of bilateral ties between Iran and China as it has been the case over the past years.