Iran to increase exports to China

(MENAFN) The Trade Promotion Organization of Iran's (TOPI) director, Hamid Safdel, stated that the organization plans to increase exports to China, reported Tehran Times. Safdel said that the move comes to strengthen ties between the two countries, stressing that China is a strategic trading partner to the Islamic Republic. Last year, trade between Beijing and Tehran surged by 55 percent from a year earlier, surpassing USD45 billion. China's imports from Iran include carpets, handicrafts, precious stones, and industrial and high-tech goods. It is worth noting that in the past few years, China inked several contracts worth USD40 billion to strengthen its presence in Iran's oil and gas sector.