Asia-PacificChina

Salehi Felicitates China’s New Foreign Minister

Salehi
Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi, in a telephone conversation with his Chinese counterpart, congratulated Wang Yi on his appointment as China’s Foreign Minister.

During the telephone conversation on Thursday, the Iranian and Chinese foreign ministers exchanged views on a range of issues of mutual interests.

The two foreign ministers also stressed the importance of strengthening Tehran-Beijing relations in all fields.

The Chinese minister underscored Iran’s important and influential position in the region, and expressed China’s willingness to bolster bilateral cooperation with the Islamic Republic on key regional and international developments.

Trade between Iran and China in the past year was estimated at $45 billion.

Iran is currently China’s third largest supplier of crude, providing Beijing with roughly 12 percent of its total annual oil consumption.

According to the figures released by China’s General Administration of Customs in January, China’s crude oil imports from Iran reached 2.5 million tons (mt) in December 2012, up 43 percent from November.

The official data showed that China’s daily crude imports from Iran in December 2012 also rose 3.6 percent compared to December 2011.

It marks China’s biggest crude import from Iran since it won a renewal of exemption from the United States’ oil embargo against Iran.

Back to top button