China vows to play bigger role in restoring peace in the Middle East during talks with Iran
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Iran’s foreign minister Abbas AragchI (left) with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on May 6.
PHOTO: REUTERS
- China's top diplomat told Iran's foreign minister that China is willing to play a greater role in Middle East peace, de-escalating tensions and assisting peace talks.
- Iran declared it will only accept "a fair and comprehensive agreement" with the US, as the US pressures China to exert influence on Iran amidst a shaky ceasefire.
- Iran's visit before the US-China summit signals China's growing concern for Gulf stability, its economic interests, and its potential role as a regional "stabiliser."
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SINGAPORE – China is willing to “play a greater role in restoring peace and tranquillity” in the Middle East, its top diplomat said on May 6 during talks with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Beijing.
This comes amid a shaky US-Iran ceasefire and ahead of an expected meeting between the Chinese and US presidents.
China will work to “further de-escalate tensions, eliminate hostilities, (and) continue to provide assistance for the initiation of peace talks”, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said during the meeting, as reported by Chinese state news agency Xinhua. He also urged the parties involved to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, continue peace talks and end the war immediately.
His counterpart said Iran will accept only “a fair and comprehensive agreement” in its negotiations with the US on ending the war in the Middle East, Iranian media reported the Iran envoy as saying in Beijing.
Mr Araghchi is the first senior Iranian official to visit China since the US and Israel struck Iran on Feb 28. Beijing’s invitation to him marked another step in a cautious push for the war to end, even as it has steered clear of direct involvement in the war.
Tehran has shut the Strait of Hormuz since the start of the war, while the US has imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports and vessels in the area since April 13.
Both sides agreed to a ceasefire in early April, which US President Donald Trump extended indefinitely on April 21. This truce, however, appeared increasingly precarious after the United Arab Emirates, a US ally, accused Iran of attacking it with a new wave of missile and drone strikes on May 5.
But signs of easing tensions emerged after the navy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said on May 6 that safe transit through the Strait of Hormuz will be ensured if the US stops its threats and new procedures are in place, according to Iranian state media.
The US has made increasing calls on China to exert its influence on Iran for a more permanent peace agreement. The US will pause escorting commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz, Mr Trump said on May 5, barely a day after it began doing so, citing progress in peace talks.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also called on Beijing to raise pressure on Iran the same day, while US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on May 4 urged China to step up its diplomatic efforts to persuade Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping.
Mr Bessent added that the subject will be discussed when President Trump meets President Xi Jinping during the US leader’s visit to Beijing on May 14 and 15. China has yet to officially confirm the dates of the meeting.
No coincidence
The timing of the Iranian visit right before the meeting between the Chinese and US leaders is “no coincidence”, said Professor Cui Shoujun, executive director at the Centre for Middle East and African Studies at Renmin University in Beijing. “Iran must be hoping that it will also become a topic of discussion at the talks between the Chinese and US heads of state.”
As the largest buyer of Iranian crude oil, China would also want to play a role in the rebuilding efforts “once peace is truly achieved”, said Prof Cui, adding that China “can play the role of stabiliser as one of very few countries with good relations with Iran, Saudi Arabia, the US and Israel”.
President Xi had said in an April 20 phone call with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that China advocates an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire and that conflicts in the Middle East should be resolved through political and diplomatic channels, Xinhua reported.
Mr Araghchi last visited China in April 2025, ahead of talks between Tehran and Washington that had been aimed at placing limits on Iran’s nuclear programme. In a March phone call with China’s Foreign Minister, he was urged by Mr Wang to engage in negotiations with the US as soon as possible to end the war, according to a Chinese government statement at the time.
During the May 6 meeting, Mr Wang reiterated President Xi’s position on the crisis, advocating that Middle Eastern countries should “take their destiny into their own hands”, and encouraging Iran and Gulf countries to engage in dialogue.
Chinese foreign policy expert Dylan Loh from Nanyang Technological University said: “It’s still an open question how far China is willing to go to exercise its influence on both Iran and the US as there’s a difference between what is said and what is done.
“What’s clear is that in recent weeks, China is much more prepared to speak directly about Hormuz and the war in Iran.”
Associate Professor Loh added: “The longer the war drags on, the more China will feel its interests in the Gulf region are threatened. China also does not want any surprises in the immediate lead-up to the Xi-Trump summit and does not want anything else to overshadow it.”
