Seek for Closer Ties beyond Energy- Exclusive Interview with H.E. Dr. Javad Mamsouri, Iranian Ambassador to China

This year marks the 35 anniversary of the establish- ment of diplomatic relations between China and Iran.Over the last 35 years,bilateral relations between the two sides have seen smooth progresses.In recent years,with active high-level leaders contacts,the two-way economic and trade cooperation between the two countries has been increasingly enlarged in depth and scope.Iran has be- come the second trade partner of China in West Asia and North Africa and the third largest oil supplier of China in the world. The main fields of Iran and China coopera- tion are energy,petrochemicals,chemicals, machineries,textile and steel industry.In 2006,Sino-Iranian two-way trade reached US＄14.45 billion,a year-on-year increase of 43.3%.Among this total,about US＄4.5 billion belonged to China's exports to Iran,and about US＄10 billion came from imports from Iran,up 46.2% and 46.7% re- spectively over the last year.We imported about 16.8 million tons of Iranian oil in that single year.In the first half of 2007,a num- ber of agreements in various areas have been reached by the two countries.In spite of the close bilateral ties,there is still huge room for both sides to further strengthen their economic cooperation. At the invitation of the Iranian Em- bassy to China,China's Foreign Trade had an exclusive interview with H.E.Dr.Javad Mansouri,Iranian Ambassa- dor to China,on a number of issues relating to Sino-lranian economic and trade ties development. By Editor

Seek for Closer Ties beyond Energy——Exclusive Interview with H.E. Dr. Javad Mamsouri, Iranian Ambassador to China

This year marks the 35 anniversary of the establish, ment of diplomatic relations between China and Iran. Over the last 35 years, bilateral relations between the two sides have seen smooth progresses. In recent years; with active high-level leaders contacts, the two-way economic and trade cooperation between the two countries has been increasingly enlarged in depth and scope. Iran has become the second trade partner of China in West Asia and North Africa and the third largest oil supplier of China in the world.