China-Iran 55 years: From ancient Silk Road to modern partnership

Editor's note: Ma Lirong is director of the Institute of Silk Road Strategy Studies and a professor at Shanghai International Studies University.

She is also director of the Ministry of Education's Research Center on the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and editor-in-chief of New Silk Road Studies.

The article reflects the authors' views and not necessarily those of CGTN.

Ali Mazaheri, a renowned French-Iranian scholar of the Silk Road, wrote in his book The Silk Road: The History of Sino-Persian Cultural Exchange that the ancient Silk Road was far more than a trade route linking the East and the West; it was also a vital bridge connecting civilizations through exchanges and mutual learning.

For millennia, Chinese and Iranian civilizations have met and interacted along this ancient route, leaving a rich legacy of people-to-people exchanges, cultural exchanges and intellectual encounters.

Fifty-five years ago, China and Iran formally established diplomatic relations.

Yet their interactions date back much further, with the two civilizations already connected through the ancient Silk Road.

As important participants in Silk Road exchanges, China and Iran gradually developed a spirit of mutual benefit, inclusiveness and cooperation – what can be described as the "Silk Road spirit." Rooted in centuries of interaction, this spirit has continued to inspire contemporary cooperation and mutual learning between the two civilizations.

From connectivity to deeper cooperation Over recent years, China and Iran have continued to expand cooperation in economic and cultural fields, bringing new vitality to their longstanding Silk Road ties.

The establishment of the China-Iran comprehensive strategic partnership in 2016 marked a new stage in bilateral relations.

In 2021, the two countries signed the China-Iran Comprehensive Cooperation Plan, outlining cooperation in a wide range of areas.

In 2023, the two sides issued a joint statement to further expand collaboration in economic, cultural, technological and other fields.

Today, economic cooperation and people-to-people exchanges have become mutually reinforcing components of China-Iran relations.

Economic cooperation has provided a foundation for greater connectivity and created more opportunities for interaction between the two peoples.