Chinese President Jiang Zemin met with Iranian Vice-President Mohammad Hashemi on December 2. Jiang said that China and Iran are ancient civilizations with a long standing friendship between them. Sino-Iranian bilateral relations have had sustained development in recent years, Jiang added.

The Chinese government treasures its ties with Iran and values Iran's role in international and regional affairs, Jiang noted, adding that China will continue to promote and foster bilateral relations.

Jiang expressed the hope that the two countries will maintain contacts at all levels, strengthen bilateral cooperation in the international arena and promote Sino-Iranian relations on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-Existence.

Hashemi told Jiang that promoting bilateral relations with China is extremely important and will make every effort to further develop these ties.

Hashemi also expressed his admiration of China's achievements since the the late seventies and early eighties.

Hashemi attended the tenth session of the China-Iran Joint Committee of Economic, Trade, Scientific and Technological Cooperation in Beijing on Monday.