TEHRAN - Shortly after I arrived in Iran, I visited Semnan province and the ancient post station there. I deeply felt that as early as more than 2,000 years ago, China and Iran were closely connected through the ancient Silk Road.

At present, as an important country along the “Belt and Road”, Iran actively participates in the joint building of the “Belt and Road”. Many Iranian friends have strong interests in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and often discuss relevant topics with me. Therefore, I would like to introduce this important initiative.

1. How was the BRI proposed?

In the fall of 2013, President Xi Jinping proposed the joint building of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, namely the BRI. This is a major initiative for international cooperation proposed by President Xi Jinping with an insightful grasp of the trend of the world and the future of mankind. President Xi Jinping pointed out that the BRI, drawing inspiration from the ancient Silk Road and focusing on enhancing connectivity, aims to enhance policy, infrastructure, trade, financial and people-to-people connectivity, inject new impetus into the global economy, create new opportunities for global development, and build a new platform for international economic cooperation.

Over the past decade, Belt and Road cooperation has gone through a very extraordinary journey, not only making important achievements but also forming valuable experience. We have deeply realized that humankind is a community with a shared future, win-win cooperation is the sure way to success in launching major initiatives that benefit all, and the Silk Road spirit of peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit is the most important source of strength for Belt and Road cooperation. President Xi Jinping pointed out that Belt and Road cooperation is based on the belief that flame runs high when everyone adds wood to the fire and that mutual support can get us far. Such cooperation seeks to deliver a good life not only to people of just one country, but to people in other countries as well. It promotes connectivity, mutual benefit, common development, cooperation and win-win outcomes. The BRI is proposed by China for the benefit of the whole world. 

2. Why is the BRI welcomed by the international community?

Over the past decade, Belt and Road cooperation has extended from the Eurasian continent to Africa and Latin America. More than 150 countries and over 30 international organizations have signed Belt and Road cooperation documents. We have held 3 sessions of the BRF before, and have established over 20 specialized multilateral cooperation platforms under the BRI. Belt and Road cooperation has progressed from “sketching the outline” to “filling in the details”, and blueprints have been turned into real projects. A large number of signature projects and “small yet smart” people-centered programs have been launched. Belt and Road cooperation has expanded from physical connectivity to institutional connectivity. Important guiding principles for high-quality Belt and Road cooperation have been laid down, which include the principle of “planning together, building together, and benefiting together”, the philosophy of open, green and clean cooperation, and the goal of pursuing high-standard, people-centered and sustainable cooperation.

Over the past decade, we have endeavored to build a global network of connectivity consisting of economic corridors, international transportation routes and information highway as well as railways, roads, airports, ports, pipelines and power grids. Covering the land, the ocean, the sky and the Internet, this network has boosted the flow of goods, capital, technologies and human resources among countries involved and injected fresh vitality into the millennia-old Silk Road in the new era. In 2023, China’s trade with partner countries reached RMB 19.5 trillion, accounting for 46.6 percent of China's total import and export volume, a record high since the BRI was put forward. Belt and Road cooperation transcends differences between civilizations, cultures, social systems, and stages of development. It has opened up a new path for exchanges among countries, and established a new framework for international cooperation. Indeed, the BRI represents humanity’s joint pursuit of development for all.

3. How does the BRI benefit Iran?

Iran has been an important transportation hub and trade distribution center on the Silk Road since ancient times, it is an important country for the joint building of the “Belt and Road”. Since the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding on jointly promoting the building of the “Belt and Road” in 2016, cooperation in various fields between the two sides has been continuously strengthened under the framework. China and Iran have leveraged economic complementarities, China has been Iran’s largest trading partner for many years, and has become the most important export destination for Iranian goods, and Iranian specialty agricultural products and handicrafts have entered the Chinese market one after another. The local delegations between two countries have great enthusiasm for cooperation, and cultural exchanges are becoming increasingly close. This year, the two countries have jointly held a number of cultural exchange activities such as the Iranian Cultural Relics Exhibition, the Chinese Art and Culture Exhibition, and the Chinese Film Week, which effectively enhanced the mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples. This July, the first China-Europe train "Qom (Iran)-Yiwu West" was dispatched, which is a vivid example of the new progress for high-quality BRI cooperation between China and Iran.

This October, in the meeting with President Masoud Pezeshkian, President Xi Jinping pointed out that Iran is a country with important regional and international influence and a good friend and partner of China. The strategic significance of China-Iran relations has become more prominent as transformations of the world unseen in a century are unfolding at a faster pace. No matter how the international and regional situation evolves, China will unswervingly develop friendly cooperation with Iran. 

China remains committed to opening up and cooperation for a shared future. We stand ready to work with all parties including Iran and support each other in enhancing the “hard connectivity” of infrastructure, upgrading the “soft connectivity” of rules and standards, and deepening the people-to-people connectivity through more exchanges and mutual learning, elevating Belt and Road cooperation toward higher quality for the modernization of all countries, and build an open, inclusive and interconnected world for common development.