Iranian navy chief visits China

The commander the Iranian Navy arrived in China on Sunday to confer with senior Chinese military officials on expansion of Tehran-Beijing military relations.

Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari, who visited Beijing at the official invitation of his Chinese counterpart, was to hold meetings with senior Chinese military officials during his stay.

A high-ranking military delegation is accompanying Admiral Sayyari.

Prior to his departure, the commander said his visit is aimed at boosting bilateral defense ties, including training cooperation and joint war games, within the framework of the agreements endorsed during the visit of the Iranian defense minister to Beijing in May 2014.

“We try to obtain an exact assessment about the training capabilities and skillfulness of the Chinese navy during the visit to the country,” the admiral pointed out.

He said he would also discuss a provision of some equipment to the Iranian Navy by the Chinese side.

He added his trip is mainly aimed at naval cooperation as a first step.

Last month, a detachment of China’s fleet of warships docked in Iran’s territorial waters in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas, marking the first ever event of such.

The visit by the Chinese Navy ships came a few days after the Iranian Navy’s 31st Flotilla thwarted an attack by eight pirate speedboats on a Chinese container-carrier ship in the Gulf of Aden.

The Chinese ship was traveling en route from Singapore to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, before it came under pirates’ attack.

In May 2013, the Iranian warships docked in Zhangjiagang after a 13,000-kilometer voyage in 40 days as part of their mission to convey Iran’s message of peace and friendship to the East Asian states.