"Silk Road Talk" initiated a new era after 2000 years

Mr. Ma Jiangguo, Associate Consul from Department of Commerce of Zhejiang. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Mr.Ma Jiangguo, Associate Consul from the Department of Commerce of Zhejiang mentioned in his speech that according to the status between Zhejiang province and Iran in trade and investment cooperation, it has great potential for cooperation. The export data from the first 7 months of this year shows the bilateral trade for exports and imports doubled. Among which exports recorded $2.5 billion with an increase of 6.5%, higher than the provincial average export growth by 8.6 percentage points; imports recorded $960 million with an increase of 5.9% over levels of a year ago, higher than the provincial average by 14.6%.

This year, China and Iran have established a comprehensive strategic partnership. Zhejiang province will use opportunities brought by this strategy. Based on the distinctive characteristics of Zhejiang Province that diversified in private enterprises, complete upper and down stream lines and industrial agglomeration development, we will focus on the following tasks: First is to develop bilateral trade. Second is to vigorously promote bilateral investment and project cooperation. Third is to strengthen the information exchange and interaction cooperation.

Data shows that China maintains its position as the largest trading partner for 7 consecutive years to Iran and is Iran's largest oil and non oil exports market. In 2014,bilateral trade volume reached $51.8 billion, setting a new record. Affected by oil and other big commodities in the international market prices dropping factors, trade in 2015 has declined but China continued to maintain the largest import and export trading partner status of Iran.

Mr.Xiong Tao, Municipal Standing Committee/Vice Mayor of Yiwu. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

With regards to small commodity trade, Iran is one of the most important export destinations for Zhejiang Yiwu small commodities. In 2015, the trade amounted to 8.5 billion yuan. With the bilateral economic and trade relations deepening between China and Iran under "The Belt and Road" strategy, and the advantages of "new Europe" as the starting point of the Sino-Europe trains as well as Iran's geographical advantage Yiwu surely will further strengthen its export advantage in the Middle East as well as Europe. At present, under the guidance of "New Silk Road, New starting point," Yiwu has made three clear strategic directions, namely cultivation of the import market, development of electronic commerce and the construction of modern logistics .

Yiwu will continue to move to the construction of "The Belt and Road" as an important node city. Between 2013 and now, Yiwu gradually opened to railway freight trains to Almaty, Tehran Iran, Madrid and Russia as well as Afghanistan, built airport open ports with direct flights to Hongkong, South Korea and Thailand. At the same time, accelerating the negotiation with Japan and Russia for direct flights. On the basis of traditional highway connecting rail transport and sea shipping connecting rail transport to improve the degree of integration of Yiwu port and Ningbo port for the strong development of logistics industry. The Yiwu Municipal Committee, vice mayor Xiong Tao said to China Daily, Yiwu's development is because at the beginning of reform and opening up it seized the intiative and so became the city of small commodities of the world today.

"The Belt and Road" initiative is like a new reform to any city and enterprise in China. Everyone should seize the opportunities of the "Belt and Road Initiative" and expand cooperation with countries along the routes and similarly seize the initiative.

In January 23rd, President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to the Islamic Republic of Iran and met with Iran's president Hassan Rouhani. During his visit, the two countries reached a comprehensive strategic partnership and signed 17 documents and LOIs. The two sides also discussed the long-term contract in the field of energy and mining and signed a MOU to promote the "Silk Road Economic Belt" and "21st Century maritime silk road" construction as well as expand mutual investment and trade in transportation, railways, ports, energy and service industries cooperation . The meeting marked "an important new era" to the relationship between Iran and China.