Raisi’s speech set the tone for the trip as he clearly stated his dissatisfaction with Beijing-Tehran ties “seriously falling behind” especially in terms of economic cooperation. Alireza Peyman-Pak, the head of Iran’s Trade Promotion Organisation, who has also been active in Iran’s efforts to boost economic ties with Russia, said the agreements were worth at least $3.5bn. In China, Raisi reportedly had a meeting with representatives of several large Chinese companies, which were not named by Iranian media. The rhetoricIt remains to be seen how much Iran-China ties develop under sanctions while talks to restore the 2015 nuclear accord remain deadlocked, but the Raisi visit saw China offer some rhetoric in support. Xi “gladly accepted” an invitation from Raisi to visit Iran at a later date, which would mark his first visit since 2016 as part of a tour of the Middle East.
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