There are two economic recovery paths on the table for Iran: expanding physical economic cooperation with China and its accompanying Belt and Road Initiative across Eurasia, or holding out hope for the $300 billion economic rehabilitation fund provided for in paragraph 6 of the U.S.-Iran Memorandum of Understanding.
Speaking yesterday at a meeting of the Iran Chamber of Commerce aimed at enhancing sustainable economic cooperation between Tehran and Beijing, Mohamed Ghalibaf — who, aside from being speaker of the Iranian parliament, is also Tehran’s special representative for China — said Iran’s economic future must hinge on China, reported IRNA. “China is unique for Iran, and China must also believe that we are not merely a customer or a commercial counterpart,” Ghalibaf said. “We are truly a partner in every sense with China.”
He also proposed that Tehran and Beijing develop new forms of cooperation and regional groupings, adding that such blocs had already begun to take shape. “Whatever bloc is formed, the presence of both Iran and China in that bloc is certain,” he said. He also said that Iran and China would seriously pursue the establishment of blocs involving the Arab states of the Persian Gulf.
Ghalibaf said economic cooperation remains Tehran’s top priority in its relationship with Beijing, added Al Monitor. “In the field of foreign relations, our main priority with China is the economic sector. Although we are also active in other areas, in all aspects, the economy is the first priority.” Ghalibaf’s presentation was nervously tracked by Newsweek, which made itself look silly, trying to find some pretext to claim that China had immediately rejected Ghalibaf’s proposal.
