Iranian, Chinese cities sign MoU to broaden mutual cooperation

Iran's Qom city and China's Linxia city signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to further broaden their mutual cooperation in economic and cultural fields.
The MoU was signed by the governors of Qom and Linxia in the city of Qom and in three English, Chinese and Farsi languages.
Qom and Linxia cities have agreed in the MoU on exchange of experience as well as cultural and scientific exchanges and establishment of economy-centered and industrial towns in the two countries.
Earlier today, Iran's Ambassador to China Mehdi Safari underlined Tehran's resolve to utilize every possible capacity to pave the ground for widening and deepening all-out relations with China.
Addressing the Iranian China-based Businessmen Council members, Safari said senior officials, in both Tehran and Beijing, have always underlined expansion of mutual cooperation between the two friendly countries.
He went on to say that the two countries' trade stood at $39.5bln last year, of which $25.393bln pertained to China's imports from Iran and $14.387bln to its exports to Iran.
Describing Iran as a reliable partner to China in the region, he further noted that China is well aware of Iran's influential role in the strategic regions of West Asia, Middle-East and the Persian Gulf.
Recalling Iran's very suitable situation for the Chinese investors, he further noted that a group of Chinese experts will visit Iran to study the location and infrastructure of Bandar Jask on rims of the Persian Gulf for investment and establishing industrial townships.
He called on the Iranian merchants and economic activists to enter China's great market and raise non-oil exports to the country.
Iran is currently China's third largest supplier of crude, providing Beijing with roughly 12 percent of its total annual oil consumption.