Chinese ambassador to Tehran Chang Hua said that Beijing is committed to facilitating issuance of visa for Iranians willing to visit exhibitions in the country, including Canton Fair 2023.
The ambassador made the remarks in a meeting in Tehran on Wednesday with the board members and other members of Iran-China Joint Chamber of Commerce which was also participated by a large number of economic activists.
Referring to a visit to China by Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi during which good agreements were reached between the two countries, including among others on implementation of a comprehensive 25-year cooperation deal, Ambassador Chang said that this year would be a good year for Iran-China relations.
He said that the volume of trade between Iran and China hit $15.8 billion in 2022 which posted a 7% growth in comparison to that of 2021.
China has been Iran’s top trade partner for 10 years in a row, the ambassador said, adding that Beijing welcomes and supports the presence of the Iranian businesspeople in the Chinese trade exhibitions.
More than 80,000 visas were granted to Iranians by the Chinese embassy in Tehran in 2019, Ambassador Chang said. He however noted that with the global outbreak of the coronavirus disease, the number of the Chinese visas issued for Iranian visitors shrank to less than 2,000 in the past three years.
With the COVID restrictions gradually easing, a large number of Iranian people are waiting for Chinese visas and the embassy is capable of issuing 150 visas a day, he said.
The ambassador also believed that the number of Chinese tourists visiting Iran will set a new record after the holy month of Ramadan.
Also speaking in the meeting, Niloofar Assadi, the caretaker of international affairs of Iran Chamber of Commerce, said that the Iran Chamber of Commerce and the Iran-China Joint Chamber of Commerce expect the Chinese government to prepare the ground for further presence of the Iranian businesspersons in trade activities in China, especially within the framework of the 25-year cooperation deal and the Belt and Road Initiative.
She called for facilitating issuance of Chinese visas for Iranian businesspeople holding recommendation letters from Iran Chamber of Commerce.