“Iran enjoys a desirable status in the area of higher education, and definitely, the promotion of (scientific) cooperation with China would serve the interests of both countries,” Mohammad Ali Najafi said in a meeting with Vice Minister of Education of China Hao Ping in Tehran on Saturday.

He also commented on the good record of relations between Iran and China in the areas of politics, economy and culture after the victory of the Islamic Revolution in 1979, and expressed the hope that the visit to Iran by the Chinese official, who is also the president of the UNESCO’s General Conference, would deepen mutual cooperation in the area of higher education.

During the meeting, Hao, for his part, expressed satisfaction with his visit to Iran and said his country is eager to boost scientific cooperation with Tehran.

He also said that signing cooperation agreements on the exchange of students and teachers between the Iranian and Chinese universities can be one of the ways to promote mutual cooperation.

The Islamic Republic is currently China's third largest supplier of crude, providing Beijing with roughly 12 percent of its total annual oil consumption.

Trade between the two states includes power generation, mining, and transportation equipment along with arms and consumer goods such as electronics, auto parts, and toys. Iran–China trade value reached $45 billion in 2011 and the figure stood at $40 billion in 2013.