Parliament to Be Fully Informed of China Deal

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the Majlis will not be kept in the dark about the country’s 25-year cooperation agreement with China.
In an interview with ICANA on Thursday, Zarif said when negotiations between Tehran and Beijing about the cooperation agreement reach the final stage and if the deal entails legal commitments, it will be submitted to the parliament for ratification. 
He also noted that the parliament will again work on the accord to check if it is in accordance with the law, even if the agreement remains an administrative bill.
“Therefore, this accord will never be hidden from the parliament,” he said.
The agreement is at the “negotiation” stage, Zarif said, noting that the Foreign Ministry has obtained the government’s authorization to engage in the relevant talks.
He also addressed rumors and allegations about Iran’s potential cession of Kish Island or other Persian Gulf islands to China as part of the agreement, saying, “These allegations are not true. There is not even an iota of truth to these allegations. We have not handed over a [single square] meter of [our] land to China or any other country, nor granted any foreign country the exclusive right to take advantage of a handspan of Iran’s soil, and will not do so [in the future].” 
Last week, the Iranian president’s chief of staff, Mahmoud Vaezi, dismissed as “illusions” speculations about the 25-year cooperation agreement with China, saying the roadmap does not entail foreign control on Iranian islands or the presence of military forces by any means.
Media speculations about the deal are just “illusions and rumors” spread by certain parties who intend to disrupt Iran’s relations with China, he added.