TEHRAN- The head and a group of members of the Board of Directors of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture, along with a number of representatives from chambers of commerce, specialized committees, economic organizations, and joint chambers of commerce, met and held talks with Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf on Wednesday, June 17.

This meeting focused on Iran-China economic relations and took place on the eve of Qalibaf's visit to that country, during which over 30 proposals were presented by private sector to the parliament speaker.

Samad Hassanzadeh, Head of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture, speaking on Wednesday, at a consultation meeting of the Special Representative for China Affairs with the Iran Chamber, held under the slogan "Sustainable Economic Cooperation between Iran and China" at the Ministry of Industry, Mining and Trade, described the attendees at the meeting with Qalibaf as including a group of members of the Board of Directors of the Iran Chamber, representatives of chambers of commerce, representatives of specialized committees, economic organizations, and joint chambers of commerce, and said: We wish the best of success for all the people, especially the entrepreneurs who created epics in the 12‑day war and the Ramadan War and demonstrated their competence to the whole world.

* Proposal to establish Iran‑China cooperation zones in special economic zones

Ghadir Ghiafeh, Vice President of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture, looking at Iran‑China relations from a macro perspective, said: We must first understand China's development model and see where China is headed by 2035 and 2050, and based on that, align the Iran‑China development document with China's future path so that for Chinese entrepreneurs, presence in the Iranian market becomes a priority.

Ghiafeh, emphasizing the formulation of a development plan convergent with China's development policies, listed artificial intelligence, advanced technologies, and electric vehicles as China's priorities. He noted: To pursue the Belt and Road Initiative in Iran and consolidate Iran as a regional hub for the Persian Gulf and Eurasia, we must be the connection center for China to West Asia, which requires extensive investment and inviting the Chinese to participate in this investment.

The Vice President of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture, proposing the establishment of special Iran‑China cooperation zones in special economic zones to increase exports and expand investment, emphasized the alignment of Iran's industrial and trade policies with China's 2035 horizon, and stated: We must find a serious place for ourselves in the Chinese value chain and integrate into it.

Ghiafeh announced the preparation of the Iran‑China economic relations development document at the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture and said: Today, we must address the establishment of a joint Iran‑China investment fund. The horizon for economic cooperation between the two countries by 2035 should focus on participation in value and logistics chains, energy, mining and mineral industries, and modern technology, so that relying on Iran's natural resources and human capital, our country transforms from an exporter of raw and semi‑raw materials to an exporter of processed products with high added value.

He considered a safe and stable environment for Chinese investors and Iranian economic activists as a prerequisite for expanding Iran‑China relations and emphasized: For Iran to become China's strategic partner, many steps must be taken, one of the most important of which is the stability of laws in the field of foreign investment.

* Iran should act as a supply bridge in East Asia centered on China

Isa Mansouri, Head of the Research Center of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture, also stated that operationalizing plans requires rule‑making and institution‑building, and said: For engagement with China, we need an institution that connects Iranian and Chinese companies. There is a good opportunity for us to be a supplier of parts and equipment to China and upgrade ourselves in this process, so the proposal to establish a specific institution is put forward.

Mansouri, recalling that Western and industrial countries used to outsource their work to West Asia but now follow the policy of bringing the supply source closer to themselves, noted: Iran can act as a supply bridge in East Asia centered on China.

He, proposing the creation of logistics towns in Iran to facilitate customs, transportation, and financial exchanges, stated: When Chinese companies are based in these towns, they outsource work domestically, boosting economic prosperity within Iran.

The Head of the Research Center of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture also stated: If an economic and industrial network is formed, it is proposed that in the petrochemical sector, this network has at least three players—meaning besides Iran and China, a third country such as Turkey, Pakistan, or Qatar should be present—so that this network can create synergy and Iran becomes a commercial and industrial hub.

* Need for a unified command for centralized policymaking in relations with China

Majidreza Hariri, Head of the Iran‑China Joint Chamber of Commerce, at this meeting emphasized the need for a unified command for centralized policymaking in the field of relations with China to determine priorities, stressing the need to elevate the level of Iran‑China economic relations. He stated: So far, we have mostly used China for financing, but in long‑term plans, we must increase this level.

Hariri, advising Qalibaf to focus on the main policy‑making of economic exchanges, stated: The issue of institution‑building raised by the Head of the Research Center of the Iran Chamber is a valid point, but care must be taken so that this idea does not lead to parallel institutions, and the focus should be on policymaking.

He considered regional cooperation as a bridge that can bring Iran and China closer together, and noted: We should create the platform and guarantee for the Chinese to build a refinery in Makran, receive crude oil, and transport the products themselves.

The Head of the Iran‑China Joint Chamber of Commerce described the supply chain issue as China's current concern and emphasized: In the supply chain field, we must introduce ourselves in a way that attracts the Chinese. We have the potential to connect China to the Arabian Peninsula and Africa via a 22‑kilometer sea bridge.

* Domestic investors ready to import technology

Aria Haghighati, Head of the Industry Commission of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture, emphasizing that private sector activists in the industry field greatly need government support and protective policies to attract investment from China, stated: Domestic investors are prepared to transfer technology to the country instead of importing parts for assembly, replacing old technology with modern technology.

Haghighati stated that meeting the expectations of domestic and foreign investors requires stability of laws, peace, and technology transfer

* Attracting Chinese investment in development of Chabahar Port as an export hub

Sajjad Gharghi, Vice President of the Mining and Mineral Industries Commission of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture, referred to the necessity of enhancing the level and weight of direct investment with China in the mining sector and said: In this regard, 37 projects have been identified in the Mining and Mineral Industries Commission, four of which have a driving role, including investments in the development of Chabahar Port as an export hub, exploration and exploitation and processing of rare earth elements, exploitation at depths of more than one thousand meters, and supply and renovation of 25,000 units of mining machinery, so that we can achieve the targeted growth in the development plan.

* Proposals for developing Iran‑China cooperation in copper industry

Mostafa Feyz Ardakani, CEO of the National Iranian Copper Industries Company, described China as the largest consumer of copper, accounting for half of the world's copper demand, and said: China is a driving country in all digital industries, and the presence of Chinese investors in the world's copper industry clusters indicates this.

Feyz Ardakani, recalling that we inherit the richest copper belt in the Middle East in Iran and the copper anchor in this region can be Iran's copper industry, stated: The convergence of high global copper demand, China's need for stable supply, and Iran's determination to develop this industry provide a suitable platform for cooperation.

Expressing hope that Iran‑China cooperation in the copper industry will upgrade from a commercial level to joint investment development, he put forward three proposals, including participation in the development of small and medium‑sized copper mines with an approach to transferring technical experience, establishing a copper value chain park with the aim of entering advanced industries with an export approach, and participating in the purchase and supply of equipment needed for domestic manufacturing, especially for the copper industry.

* How does the Iran‑China relationship become "win‑win"?

Mohammad Reza Saeedi, CEO of the Social Security Investment Company, considered broad participation in Chinese business networks as a foundation for presence in international business networks and said: The context of relations with China should be such that it leads to the upgrading of technology in the country.

Emphasizing that relations with China must lead to learning and the advancement of advanced technologies in the country, he noted: If every action we take with China leads to the formation of organizational learning at the level of the two countries and our enterprises, then we can create a win‑win relationship with China, and this will enhance Iran's trade security.

* Proposal to establish joint consortia

Mohammad Reza Modarres Khiabani, CEO of the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines, stating that container trade between Iran and China accounts for more than 70% of container trade, referred to the good relations between the two countries in the field of maritime logistics and said: The groundwork for investment in maritime logistics has been laid.

Modarres Khiabani, proposing the establishment of joint consortia in the field of concluding joint contracts between Iran and China, said: If we can form joint consortia in the field of port equipment and provide the possibility of discharging and loading Iranian cargoes in Chinese ports, this action can be effective as a locomotive for the country's development.

* Formation of specialized committees between private sectors of Iran and China

Mahdavi, the representative of the petrochemical industry, noting that 54% of Iran's petrochemical product exports go to China and the share of petrochemical exports accounts for one‑third of Iran's non‑oil exports, emphasized to Dr. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf that the private sector should be given more room to enter several important industries and specialized committees between the private sectors of Iran and China should be formed.

* Ghafouri‑Fard's 10 proposals on developing Iran‑China relations

Alireza Ghafouri‑Fard, Secretary General of the Iran Electricity Industry Federation, put forward 10 proposals to strengthen Iran‑China economic cooperation, including: monitoring the efficiency and implementation level of documents between the two countries; permanent review of similar programs and documents of the People's Republic of China with other countries, prioritizing regional countries; designing a macro model for national development corresponding to the Chinese model within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative; creating a centralized structure to lead, monitor, and follow up the economic cooperation of the two countries, modeling the Pakistan example under the China‑Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC); adapting the cooperation program to upstream sectoral documents; establishing a mechanism for private sector participation in drafting downstream documents of the program and following up cooperation; ensuring the rational use of domestic technical, human, and financial capacity in projects; policymaking for competition between the private sectors of the two countries in joint projects; determining the limits of investment, financing, and public‑private partnership in program issues, simultaneously strengthening Iran's position in the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB); and separating the desired projects into two groups of mainstream and other projects, paying attention to the economic scale of projects considering the difference in scale between Iran and China.

* Mahan's readiness to increase number of weekly flights between Iran and China

Hamid Arab‑Nejad, CEO of Mahan Airlines, noting that currently 22 to 23 flights take place between Iran and China per week, considered it possible to increase this number to 35 flights per week and said: China's capacity in the field of airport and terminal construction can be well utilized.

* Special attention to development of rail transport between Iran and China

Ahmadreza Farshchian, Head of the Import Management Committee of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture, stating that trade is not possible without creating the necessary infrastructure between the two countries, said: The first required infrastructure for trade is a financial framework, and despite the volume of commercial transactions between Iran and China, a suitable financial framework has not yet been designed between the two countries. This is while if the financial framework of the two countries is designed, complications like sanctions cannot harm trade.

He described the second important axis in the exchanges between the two countries as logistics, and in addition to the issues raised regarding maritime transport in this meeting, he noted: Attention to rail logistics is also necessary. Although the train between Iran and China is in operation, the current capacity does not meet the needs of trade between the two countries, and special attention must be paid to rail transport between the two countries.

* Emphasis on special attention to role of financial intermediary institutions

Farshid Shekarkhodaie, Head of the Investment and Financing Committee of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture, emphasizing special attention to the role of financial intermediary institutions, said: In the world, 80% of financing is done by funds; we must connect Chinese investment funds to Iranian financing companies.

He emphasized: These intermediary institutions have been very weak after the JCPOA and have not been able to function, so we must create investment intermediary institutions with the Chinese, and these intermediary institutions will facilitate investment.

MA