TEHRAN – On Monday, China's Ambassador to Iran, Cong Peiwu, invited journalists from major Iranian media outlets to the Chinese embassy in Tehran to expound on Beijing's recently drafted development plan and its vision for diplomatic ties with the rest of the world.

Earlier this month, after a four-day meeting, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China approved a draft of the country’s next five-year development plan, marking the 15th such plan developed over the past decades. It envisions increased self-reliance in various sectors including in science and technology.

The plan also emphasizes peaceful engagement with countries worldwide based on mutual respect. This aspect has attracted significant attention, particularly in light of Washington's increasingly heavy-handed and draconian economic, security, and military measures against other nations.

China itself has become a target of such measures. The Trump administration imposed new tariffs on Chinese goods after taking office, and recently launched a probe that could potentially lead to even more tariffs against China.

When asked if Beijing was concerned about the impact of what the media has been describing as a tariff war on its development plans, Ambassador Cong stated that China disapproves of the American actions but will not allow them to dictate its goals and ambitions.

“Unilateralism only harms the stability of the global supply chain and has a negative impact on global economic development,” he explained. “China's position on this issue is clear: the trade war benefits no one. China and the United States should resolve issues based on international principles.”

In regards to Iran, Ambassador Cong said China wants a “shared destiny” with the country. 

"I emphasize that from the perspective of foreign policy, China is committed to creating a shared global destiny and continues to emphasize common interests. China is willing to share common opportunities with Iran,” he stated. “In this new five-year period, China supports global development and the 'Chinese style' is a program for the development of humanity. Our president has introduced a very important concept about the human community with a shared destiny, which reflects the beliefs of the members of the Communist Party of China.”

The envoy mentioned that he had discussed this "shared destiny" with Ali Akbar Velayati, an advisor to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, during a meeting held just hours before the embassy gathering. An official readout of that meeting indicates that Velayati told the Chinese diplomat that the two countries share "strategic" and "historic" ties that must expand across various fields.