TEHRAN (PIN) -- The Islamic Republic of Iran views China as an important investment partner Mohammad Nahavandian, head of Iran’s Chamber of Commerce, Industry, and Mine (ICCIM) said here on Tuesday.

Nahavandian, in a meeting with visiting Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce Wei Jianguo, expressed hope that joint energy development projects, worth 50 billion dollars, will increase.
Complaining about the slow trend of negotiation between the Central Bank of Iran and Chinese banks, Nahavandian stated that proper measures should be taken to boost bilateral banking cooperation.
Wei Jianguo, for his part, said that Iran-China trade stood 14 billion dollars in the year to end on March 20, 2007.
The Chinese official noted that the figure reached 10 billion dollars in the first half of 2007, showing a 40-percent rise compared to the figure for the same period a year earlier.
Wei invited ICCIM members to take part in China Trade Exhibition, which is to be held on September 8 in Sinkiang Trade Center.
In addition, Asadollah Asgarowladi head of Iran-China Chamber of Commerce stated that about 2,500 Iranian industrial and productive units are involved in businesses with the world’s most populous nation.
Asgarowladi hoped that Tehran-Beijing investment would rise to 30 billion dollars