Iran, China Ink Deal on Defense Cooperation

The agreement entails closer defense-military cooperation between Tehran and Beijing, sharing military experience, particularly in the field of training, as well as combatting terrorism and causes of regional insecurity.

Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan and his Chinese counterpart General Chang Wanquan signed the deal after a meeting on Monday morning, preceded by an official welcome ceremony at Iran’s Defense Ministry.

In their talks, Brigadier General Dehqan described an “upgrade in long-term military and defense cooperation with China” as a top priority in Iran’s defense diplomacy agenda.

Military collaborations between Iran and China will guarantee regional and international peace and security, Dehqan added, describing efforts to ensure stability in Asia and Oceania as a collective responsibility.

Warning against the spread of terrorism in Europe, Central Asia and the Caucasus, the Iranian minister said the threat posed by the Daesh (ISIL) terrorist group has become a major global challenge.

He also voiced Iran’s readiness for concerted action against terrorism given the country’s experience over the past years, stressing that China can play a “very significant role” in that process.

For his part, General Wanquan stressed the need for efforts to boost defense cooperation with Iran through full implementation of the previous military agreements between Tehran and Beijing.

He also expressed the hope that his visit to Iran and the new agreement would usher in closer military and defense relations.

Tehran and Beijing have close diplomatic, economic, trade and energy ties, and in recent years have developed their military relations as well.

In May 2014, the Iranian defense minister paid an official visit to China to negotiate mutual visits and personnel training cooperation between the two countries.