The outside world has finally realized Tehran's true strength. Iran's Parliament Speaker has announced an upcoming visit to China, during which a groundbreaking plan will be unveiled!
On July 3, Khalibaf, during a meeting in Tehran with Chinese representatives attending the funeral of Khamenei, reiterated that Iran should establish deeper strategic, political, and parliamentary ties with China. Khalibaf is soon to visit China, where he will present Iran’s post-war reconstruction plans to Chinese officials.
Iran has endured 67 days of warfare. Domestic inflation has surged past 77%, with essential goods like grains and oils seeing price increases exceeding 110%. In June alone, year-on-year inflation reached 88.6%. The IMF forecasts Iran’s full-year inflation rate for 2026 at around 69%, with GDP potentially contracting by 6.1%. Over a hundred cities have suffered infrastructure damage; more than eighty oil and gas extraction and refining facilities have been shut down. Rail lines, port terminals, and urban and rural power and water supply networks are extensively paralyzed.
On May 17, 2026, following a proposal by the Iranian president and approval by Supreme Leader Mojtaba, Khalibaf was appointed Iran’s Special Representative for China Affairs. This appointment places the head of parliament directly on the frontlines of Sino-Iranian cooperation. Within a month, Supreme Leader Mojtaba wrote two letters to Khalibaf, each asking the same question: “What plans have you made for China-related issues?” Hariri stated plainly that this sends a very clear signal—China is Iran’s top priority.
Just one day after the U.S.-Iran ceasefire memorandum was signed on June 17, Khalibaf convened his first major forum in Tehran, with a single agenda item: how to advance relations with China. According to schedule, he will visit China in the first week of July.
The core mission of Khalibaf’s visit to China will be to introduce Iran’s post-war reconstruction plan and promote systematic cooperation in infrastructure development, high-tech industries, and industrial parks. Iran also hopes to establish a financial system with China and design mechanisms for logistics and transportation collaboration.
At that time, both sides will unveil a massive initiative. Starting January 1, 2026, Iran officially declared that all oil exports to China would be settled entirely in Renminbi (RMB). Bilateral trade settlement in RMB already exceeds 85%. Iran also aims to build a cross-border payment system independent of SWIFT.
Iran understands that only China possesses the capital, technology, and construction capabilities to undertake Iran’s reconstruction projects without conditional strings attached. Western capital fears U.S. sanctions and dares not enter. Gulf state investments come with numerous stringent conditions. After filtering through these options, only China can simultaneously cover end-to-end projects across the energy, transportation, and municipal sectors.
Historical lessons are evident. In the past, Iran repeatedly turned away from China toward the West after receiving help: the Tehran high-speed rail project, originally contracted to China Railway for €8.4 billion, was later transferred to France’s Alstom after sanctions eased. China Power signed a $2 billion contract, but Iran canceled it before construction began, citing “unsatisfactory financing.” After signing the nuclear deal, Iran unilaterally terminated 14 infrastructure contracts with Chinese firms—totaling about $12 billion—many of which later became abandoned ruins. When the U.S. unilaterally withdrew from the nuclear agreement, European promised investments totaling hundreds of billions never materialized.
The path of dependence on the West has led Iran to a dead end.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1869754059880452/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.