China building supertankers for Iran
SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Monday, August 21, 2000
TOKYO -- China has made inroads in a major market in Iran -- that of
oil supertankers.
Beijing has won a huge contract for five supertankers and has begun
building the first of the 300,000-ton vessel.
The Dalian New Shipyard Heavy Industry Co. will build the ships in the
northeastern port of Dalian, the official Chinese news agency, Xinhua,
reported . The company won the $370 million contract a year ago.
Industry analysts said the Chinese contract breaks the Japanese and
South Korean hold of the supertanker market.
Beijing is also a major contractor in Iranian defense projects. These
include missiles and nonconventional weapons.
China and Iran have been expanding their industrial cooperation since
the visit of President Mohammed Khatami earlier this year. In another deal,
the Steel Mill Company of Iran has signed an accord with the Chinese CMIC to
buy $3.2 million worth of technology for the steel mill.
The agreement requires that CMIC provide the technology within two
years. The Iranian steel mill will begin operations in 2003 and officials
said it will have an annual output of 70,000 tons.
On Tuesday, Iranian and South African officials launch cooperation talks
in Pretoria. The bilateral commission will be headed by the foreign
ministers of the two countries and will discuss cooperation in science,
technology, trade, investment, and shipping.
Earlier, Syrian President Bashar Assad endorsed an agreement that avoids
double taxation in transactions between Iran and Syria.
Monday, August 21, 2000
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