IranianPresidentEbrahimRaisi"sChinavisitwillhighlightthetwocountries"strongmutualsupportaswellasBeijing"slastingcommitmentandactionstopromotingpeaceandprosperityintheMiddleEastaswellastheworld,officialsandexpertssaid.

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TheymadetheobservationasRaisiisscheduledtoarriveinBeijingonTuesdayforastatevisitthroughThursday,hisfirsttriptoChinasincetakingofficein2021.

AccordingtotheForeignMinistry,PresidentXiJinpingwillholdtalkswithRaisito"jointlychartthecourseforandnavigatethefuturedevelopmentofbilateralrelations",andthetwoleaderswillhavean"in-depthexchangeofviewsonregionalandinternationalissuesofcommonconcern".

Duringhisvisit,theIranianpresidentwillalsomeetwithPremierLiKeqiangandLiZhanshu,chairmanoftheStandingCommitteeoftheNationalPeople"sCongress.

China-Iranrelationsarebasedonatraditionalfriendship,and"cementinganddevelopingthetiesisthejointstrategicchoiceofbothsides",ForeignMinistryspokesmanWangWenbinsaidonMonday.

BeijinglooksforwardtoworkingwithTeheranto"takethevisitasanopportunitytostriveforgreaterprogressoftheChina-Irancomprehensivestrategicpartnership",WangsaidatanewsconferenceinBeijing.

Thetwonationswillalsoseektofurther"playconstructiverolesinboostingunityandcollaborationamongMiddleEastcountriesandfacilitatingtheregion"ssecurityandstability",headded.

China"stradewithIranreached$12.32billioninthefirstninemonthsoflastyear,up18percentyear-on-year,accordingtotheGeneralAdministrationofCustoms.

MohammadJamshidi,deputydirectorofpoliticalaffairsattheIranianpresident"soffice,saidonSundaythatthevisitwillbeof"economic,politicalandstrategicimportance",Iran"sIslamicRepublicNewsAgencyreported.

RaisisaidinanarticlepublishedinMonday"seditionofPeople"sDailythat"Iranwill,asalways,upholdpoliciestostrengthenIran-Chinabilateralties,andthiswillnotbeaffectedbyanychangesintheregionalandinternationalsituation".

"China"seconomicgrowthanditsoutboundinvestmentbenefitthepeopleofChinaandothercountries,andwewelcomeinitiativesproposedbyChinaforpromotingworldpeace,securityanddevelopment,"headded.

HesaidhiscountryappreciatesChina"simportantroleinthefightagainstCOVID-19anditssupportforIran"seffortstobecomeamemberoftheShanghaiCooperationOrganization.

RaisialsoenvisionedgreaterbilateralcooperationundertheplanforChina-Irancomprehensivecooperation,ablueprintthatthetwocountriessignedin2021.

LiShaoxian,directorofNingxiaUniversity"sChina-ArabResearchInstitute,saidthat"ChinaandIranhavealonghistoryoffriendlyrelationsandarenaturalpartners"whosupporteachother"scoreinterests.

IranisanidealcountryintheMiddleEastforadvancingtheBeltandRoadInitiative,and"cooperationwithChinaiskeyforIran"seconomicdevelopment",headded.

ObserversnotedthatalsohighontheagendafortheIranianpresident"svisitisadvancingnegotiationsonresumingcompliancewiththeJointComprehensivePlanofAction,alandmarkIrannucleardealenactedin2016.

MaXiaolin,aveteranresearcheronMiddleEastandMediterraneanstudiesatZhejiangUniversity,saidthatcurrentprospectsfortheIrannucleardealhavebeendampenedbysanctionsandverbalattacksbytheUnitedStates.

China"sconsistentpositiononthisissueistorejectattemptstopoliticizethedealandstayfocusedonnegotiations,and"theupcomingmeetingbetweenXiandRaisimaybringmorehope"intermsoftheresumptionofnegotiationsonthedeal,MatoldChinesemediaaheadofthevisit.

Speakingtoreporters,WangWenbin,theForeignMinistryspokesman,notedthatthetwocountries"havekeptgoodcommunicationandcoordinationoverinternationalandregionalaffairs".

Thetwocountriesfirmlysafeguardtheprincipleofnoninterferenceininternalaffairsandthecommoninterestsofdevelopingcountries,headded.