China Defense Minister Due in Tehran

Chinese Defense Minister Chang Wanquan is to arrive in Tehran on Sunday for an official visit. The top Chinese military official is scheduled to pay a three-day visit at the invitation of his Iranian counterpart, Lieutenant General Hossein Dehqan, Tasnim News Agency reported. Apart from meetings with Dehqan, the Chinese defense minister will hold talks with senior Iranian political and military officials on bilateral, regional and international issues. In September, China's Ambassador to Iran Pang Sen had unveiled plans for reciprocal visits by delegations from the armed forces of Iran and China. Tehran and Beijing have close diplomatic, economic, trade and energy ties, and in recent years developed their military relations as well. In May 2014, the Iranian defense chief paid an official visit to China to negotiate mutual visits and personnel training cooperation between the two sides.