With the advent of 2024, a new chapter has begun in the diplomatic relations between the Islamic Republic and China, a Chinese daily quoted an Iranian minister as saying.
In a memo published in the Chinese newspaper Global Times, Iranian Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Ezzatollah Zarghami elaborated on the potential of Iran and China in the consolidation of mutual ties.
The op-ed of the Iranian minister is published simultaneous with an exhibition titled "The Glory of the Ancient Persia: Exhibition of Iranian Cultural Relics" is underway at Beijing's Palace Museum and will run until April 11, 2024.
A total of 216 cultural relics at the exhibition, which were collected by multiple museums in Iran, reveal the artful charm of ancient Iran as a crucial hub for East-West cultural exchanges.
Concurrent with the Industrial Revolution in Europe and the outset of the era of colonialism and exploitation of Asian nations, the interactions between Iran and China experienced a 200-year-old halt, Zarghami pointed out.
“The occurrence of the Communist revolution in China and the Islamic Revolution in Iran marked a new era in the two countries that resulted in further expansion of fraternal ties.”
Xi Jinping's 2016 trip to Tehran cemented the commitment of leaders from both countries, resulting in a comprehensive strategic cooperation, he underlined.
The focus on Asia during President Ebrahim Raeisi’s administration contributed to the growth of relations with China, the official added.
The official and historic visit of Raisi, at the beginning of 2023 and the signing of 18 documents in the fields of culture, economy, and technology, promised a new chapter in the bilateral relations, he further noted.