On August 16, 2021, President Xi Jinping exchanged congratulatory messages with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Iran.
Xi Jinping pointed out in his message that since the establishment of diplomatic ties half a century ago, the relations between China and Iran have developed steadily and the traditional friendship between the two countries has grown stronger with time. Since the establishment of the China-Iran comprehensive strategic partnership in 2016, the political mutual trust between the two sides has seen further consolidation and mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields has witnessed steady progress. Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Iran have stood closely together through thick and thin, and wrote a fine story of anti-pandemic cooperation. I attach great importance to the development of China-Iran relations, and am willing to work with President Raisi to take the 50th anniversary as an opportunity to deepen traditional friendship, advance deep and practical cooperation in various fields, and enrich the connotation of the China-Iran comprehensive strategic partnership, so as to benefit the two countries and two peoples.
Raisi said in his message that both Iran and China are ancient civilizations. The friendship between the two countries stands as a towering old tree that draws nutrients from thousands of years of bilateral friendly exchanges, and has laid a profound foundation for the development of the China-Iran comprehensive strategic partnership. Iran is determined to build outstanding Iran-China relations. As bilateral diplomatic ties enter the sixth decade, Iran is ready to continue upgrading strategic cooperation with China, strengthen communication on expanding practical cooperation in various fields and continuously deepen bilateral ties.