BEIJING—Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi will meet with his counterpart Xi Jinping during his three-day trip in China starting Tuesday, as the two U.S. rivals seek further cooperation.
China’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying made the announcement Sunday, saying Raisi’s visit was at Xi’s invitation.
Raisi will meet with Xi and their delegations will sign cooperation documents, according to Iran’s state news agency IRNA. Meeting with Iranian and Chinese business leaders and Iranian expatriates in China is also part of his itinerary, the report added.
Raisi’s visit is expected to deepen ties between the two political and economic partners that are opposed to the U.S.-led liberal democratic domination of international affairs.
The two leaders met last September in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, when Xi underscored China’s support for the Iranian leadership, which is facing mass protests at home.
In December, Raisi pledged to remain committed to deepening the strategic partnership during a meeting with Chinese Vice Premier Hu Chunhua in Tehran.
China is a major buyer of Iranian oil and an important source of investment in the Mideast country. In 2021, Iran and China signed a 25-year strategic cooperation agreement that covered major economic activities from oil and mining to industry, transportation, and agriculture.
Both countries have had tense relations with the United States, and have sought to project themselves as a counterweight to American power alongside Russia.
The Iranian regime on Saturday celebrated the 44th anniversary of its 1979 Islamic Revolution amid nationwide anti-government protests and heightened tensions with U.S. allies.
