Rouhani calls for broadening of ties with China

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani underlined the need for the further expansion of bilateral ties between Iran and China. “We believe that expansion of Tehran-Beijing relations will guarantee the two nations’ interests,” Rouhani said in a meeting with the visiting Chinese Culture Minister, Cai Wu, in Tehran on Monday. The Chinese culture minister, for his part, described the two countries\' relations as exemplary, and said, “Iran and China have ancient cultures and civilizations and they can play an important role in the world today.” Cai arrived in Tehran on Sunday to attend President Rouhani’s swearing-in ceremony. Trade between Iran and China in the past year was estimated at $45bln. Iran is currently China\'s third largest supplier of crude, providing Beijing with roughly 12 percent of its total annual oil consumption.