Chinese Vice President Han Zheng met with a delegation of entrepreneurs led by Canada's Minister of Industry Melanie Joly in Beijing on Thursday.
Noting Chinese President Xi Jinping and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney reached a series of important common understandings during meeting in Beijing in January, Han said that the two countries enjoy strong economic complementarity and great potential for cooperation.
Han said that China stands ready to work with Canada to deliver on the important common understandings between the leaders of the two countries, consolidate cooperation in traditional fields, enhance cooperation in emerging fields such as new energy vehicles and artificial intelligence, and promote the growth of the China-Canada new strategic partnership on a sound, steady and sustainable track.
Joly said that Canada attaches great importance to developing relations with China, and is willing to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation of enterprises, and promote the healthy and stable development of Canada-China ties.
Chinese vice president meets Canadian delegation of entrepreneurs
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Thursday that it has officially lifted its naval blockade on all maritime traffic to and from Iranian ports and coastal areas.
"Today, U.S. forces lifted the blockade on all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports and coastal areas, in accordance with the President's direction," CENTCOM said in a statement published on social media platform X.
CENTCOM confirmed that U.S. forces are no longer impeding the movement of vessels traveling to and from Iranian ports in the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, marking the cessation of all U.S. military blockade operations in the region.
Despite that, U.S. Naval ships "will remain in the general area to make sure that all aspects of the agreement are adhered to, obeyed and in full force and effect", according to the statement.
Iran's official news agency IRNA on Wednesday evening published the full text of a recently finalized memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Tehran and Washington aimed at ending their conflict.
According to IRNA, immediately upon the MoU's signing, the United States will begin to lift its anti-Iran naval blockade and stop any harassment or obstruction against the country, and will fully end the blockade within 30 days.
It added during this period, traffic by vessels will return to the pre-war level to be restored by Iran, and the United States also undertakes to withdraw its military forces from areas around Iran within 30 days after the final agreement.
The report said by signing the MoU, Iran will make arrangements to the best of its ability to provide safe passage for commercial ships free of charge, only for a period of 60 days, from the Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and vice versa, adding that commercial ships' passage will commence immediately and will be established within 30 days given the need for removing technical and military obstacles and demining by Iran.
U.S. lifts naval blockade against Iran
