The trade with China has always been in favor of Iran; we should not be ungrateful

According to Tasnim, on the necessity of importing the strategic goods from China to progress in our development targets, Majid Reza Hariri, the first deputy of the China Chamber of Commerce said, "Importing raw materials and machinery from this country paves the way for the increase in domestic production and occupation."

Stating that China is our first business partner of Iran that specially supported Iran during sanctions, Hariri said, "Most Chinese goods of poor quality are imported from unofficial gateways into the country and we should look at our economical relations with China more fairly."

Stating that we have had rational economic ties with China for the last 17 years, and this relation has been growing, the first deputy of the China Chamber of Commerce said, "Only in 2014,2015, and 2016, the volume of our trade with this country were 52,34, and 32 billion USD because of the decrease in the prices of raw materials and petrol." 

Stating that the Iran – China trade has always been positive in our favor, he said, "China is our first business partner and is simultaneously the largest supplier of products and the first commercial destination of Iranian goods."

Going on to criticizing the erroneous view on Chinese products, Hariri said, "It is a misconception to say Iran only imports from China." Stating that trade is a bilateral relation, he said, "It is not possible to buy from a country or to sell to it, and in all the world there is two-way trade and it is true about our business relations with China."

Stating that China managed to help us during sanctions to overcome the hard time, the first deputy chairman of China Chamber of Commerce said, "We should not be ungrateful to our business partner that gave special support to us during hardship of sanctions. When Iran's oil exports fell under one million barrels per day and there were no customers for our oil, China was purchasing over 600 thousand barrels a day from Iran. In fact around 50 to 60 percent of our revenue was obtained from the oil sales to China."

Stating that China has business relations with over 100 countries and is the biggest importer and exporter of the world, he said, "At present China is the second largest economy in the world after the USA, and in fact since our country has no relations with the US, it can be said China is the largest business partner of Iran."