Iran has called for comprehensive cooperation and development of ties with China in the fields of Internet, cyberspace and information technology.
During his trip to China, Minister of Communications and Information Technology Mahmoud Vaezi met with the senior Chinese executive official in charge of cyber security and Internet policy, Lu Wei, Khabar Online reported.
The two sides touched on the issue of potential cyber threats, as “cyberspace is dominated by a limited number of countries.”
The two countries warned against the dominance of “one country in specific” in regulating cyberspace without naming names. Likely referring to the United States, the officials agreed that to counter the dominance, China and Iran need to solidify ties so that the two countries will have a bigger role in decision making.
The officials also highlighted the importance of information and experience exchange in developing the Internet and subsequently electronic governments.
The two countries agreed to establish a specialized workgroup for the purpose of developing national information networks.
The Iranian minister also met with the Chinese Minister of Industry and Information Technology Miao Wei.
During the meeting, Vaezi said Iran is ready to expand relations with China, especially in the area of telecommunications and ICT.
Iran has been putting a lot of effort in preparing the infrastructures needed for the development of ICT. Certified Chinese companies are more than welcome to compete alongside other local and foreign companies in Iran, the official said.
“ICT is the prerequisite for economic development. Iran wishes to expand cooperation with China in the areas of education and research. The two countries can also start joint ventures in the area of ICT.”
Vaezi invited his Chinese counterpart to travel to Iran so that the two countries can draft a memorandum of understanding about the issue.
While expressing willingness to travel to Iran, Miao noted that Iran has an undeniable leading role in the region.
“The Chinese government wishes to finance several projects in Iran,” he said.
