Addressing reporters in his weekly presser on Tuesday, the US State Department spokesperson reacted to President Raeisi's visit to China.
Answering a question about the formation of an anti-American front by Tehran and Beijing, Ned Price claimed, "I would just make a broader point, that there was a time not so long ago where the United States made a concerted effort to engage with the PRC on the issue of Iran’s nuclear program precisely because we recognize it to be a challenge to both of our countries."
"Our bilateral relationship with the PRC is complex; it is consequential. It is the most complex, probably the most consequential bilateral relationship we have. There are different aspects to that relationship that is primarily competitive. There are some aspects that are adversarial, and potentially conflictual, which is why, again, we focused on maintaining those open lines of communication," he also said.
Without giving proof, Price also claimed that Iran’s nuclear program poses a challenge to the United States as well as China.
This comes as Tehran has always proved that its nuclear program is completely peaceful and it is not going to pose a threat to any country.
On Monday evening, Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi left Tehran for Beijing.
Speaking to reporters at Tehran’s International Mehrabad Airport prior to his departure, Raeisi said that 20 various Memorandum of Understanding will be signed between Tehran and Beijing during his upcoming visit to China.
During his visit, the high-ranking delegations of the two countries will hold negotiations and some cooperation documents will be signed.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs Ehsan Khandouzi, Minister of Roads and Urban Development Mehrdad Bazrpash, Oil Minister Javad Owji, Minister of Agriculture Jihad Seyyed Javad Sadati Nejad, Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade Seyyed Reza Fatemi Amin, Governor of the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) Mohammad Reza Farzin and Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Ali Bagheri Kani accompany Raeisi in his visit to Beijing.V
RHM/