TEHRAN, June 26 (Xinhuanet) -- Iran's president-elect MahmoudAhmadinejad expressed here Sunday his willingness to develop tieswith China.

    Ahmadinejad made the remarks while answering a question onbilateral relation between Iran and China raised by Xinhua at hisfirst press conference since his election win on Friday.

    The president-elect told Xinhua that he knows China very welland wants to develop ties with China during his term as president.

    "I know China very well. During my term of office as Tehranmayor, I had frequent contacts with many Chinese companiescooperating with us, through which I have become quite familiarwith China and the Chinese people," Ahmadinejad said."

    Iran is intended to promote relations with all amicablecountries in the world, including China," Ahmadinejad stressed.

    He, meanwhiel, told the press conference that "Iran is on a pathof progress and elevation, and does not really need the UnitedStates on this path."

    "The foreign policy of the government is justice, peace and co-existence, and the expansion of mutual, just relations," he said.

    Ahmadinejad, a representative of the ultra-conservatives inIran, defeated pragmatic former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjaniwith a landslide win in the ninth presidential election runoff onFriday. Enditem