TEHRAN – Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has described relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the People’s Republic of China as “strategic,” stressing that Tehran is a reliable partner for Beijing in political, economic, and international arenas—particularly in confronting unilateralism.

Chairing a coordination meeting on Wednesday to review bilateral cooperation and prepare for his upcoming state visit to China, Pezeshkian underlined Iran’s geopolitical weight on the regional and global stage. He said the Islamic Republic is eager to pursue “serious and constructive cooperation” with China, especially in advancing the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a multi-trillion-dollar project launched in 2013 which is seeking to improve transportation infrastructures linking China to Europe, Asia, and Africa. All other areas of cooperation, he added, could be framed within that initiative.

Senior officials and ministers attending the meeting discussed key areas of Iran-China relations, reviewed the status of existing agreements and projects, and proposed measures to accelerate their implementation.

Political adviser to the president, Mehdi Sanai, announced that Pezeshkian will travel to China on August 31 to attend and deliver addresses at two major gatherings: the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit and the “Shanghai Plus” meeting, which will bring together representatives from over 30 countries. His agenda also includes talks with President Xi Jinping and bilateral meetings with several other world leaders.

Separately, informed sources confirmed that Pezeshkian, along with Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, will participate in China’s Victory Day parade on September 3, marking the 79th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II. According to Reuters, it will be the first joint public appearance of Putin and Kim alongside President Xi, seen as a show of collective solidarity amid Western pressure.

China’s Foreign Ministry has said 26 foreign leaders are expected to attend the parade. No Western leaders are participating, with the exception of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico. Other confirmed attendees include Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, and South Korean National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik. UN Under-Secretary-General Li Junhua will represent the world body.

The Victory Day parade—set to be one of China’s largest in recent years—will showcase advanced military hardware, including fighter aircraft, missile defense systems, and hypersonic weapons.

China is Iran’s largest trade partner. Both states are subject to different levels of illegal sanctions imposed by the US.

The two countries signed the long-term strategic partnership deal in March 2021 in an attempt to reinforce their long-standing economic and political alliance.

On Tuesday, Iran’s transport minister said the country would soon finalize a contract with China for a high-speed railway project connecting the capital Tehran to the second-largest city of Mashhad. Farzaneh Sadegh said that the Chinese investor of the project would sign a contract with the Iranian side for the Tehran-Mashhad high-speed rail project during Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s visit to Beijing next week.