Iran’s Foreign Minister meets Chinese counterpart before Trump’s Beijing trip

BEIJING – Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met China’s top diplomat in Beijing on May 6, underscoring close ties between the two countries shortly before US President Donald Trump is scheduled to travel to meet Xi Jinping.

Mr Araghchi’s visit, announced by state news agency Xinhua, is his first trip to China since the US-Israeli war on Iran set off the most severe global oil supply shock in history, threatening the energy security of China, the world’s top crude importer.

After the meeting, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said Mr Araghchi briefed China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the talks with the US and said: “Iran, just as it demonstrated strength in defending itself and remains fully prepared to confront any aggression, is also serious and steadfast in the field of diplomacy.”

According to the Iranian Students’ News Agency, Mr Araghchi said: “We will do our best to protect our legitimate rights and interests in the negotiations.”

With regard to talks between Tehran and Washington, he said: “We only accept a fair and comprehensive agreement.”

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said after the talks that “the current regional situation is at a critical juncture of transition from war to peace”, adding that “China believes that a complete cessation of hostilities is imperative, restarting the conflict is unacceptable, and persisting in negotiations is particularly important”.

It also urged the “parties involved” to promptly restore “normal and safe passage” through the Strait of Hormuz.

On the nuclear issue, it said that “China appreciates Iran’s commitment not to develop nuclear weapons, while also recognising Iran’s legitimate right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy”.

Earlier this week, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urged China to intensify its diplomatic efforts to persuade Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping.

Mr Bessent said Mr Trump and Mr Xi would exchange views on Iran in person during their May 14 to 15 talks in Beijing. He added the two will seek to keep the steady US-China relationship on track following a trade truce in October.

Mr Bessent urged China to “join us in this international operation” to open the strait but did not specify what actions Beijing should take. He added that China and Russia should stop blocking initiatives at the United Nations, including a resolution encouraging steps to protect commercial shipping in the strait.

Earlier this week, the US and Iran launched new attacks in the Gulf as they wrestled for control over the strait with duelling maritime blockades, threatening what was already a fragile truce.

Mr Trump later said the US Navy would help ships pass through the strait. But that operation was paused after Mr Trump on May 5 said there had been “great progress” made towards a comprehensive agreement with Iran.

There was no immediate reaction from Tehran.

The Iranian Foreign Minister on May 4 said the attacks, taking place ‌after he said Tehran was looking into Mr Trump’s request ​for negotiations, showed there was no military solution to the crisis.

China has engaged in a flurry of diplomatic activity and refrained from forceful criticism of the US’ conduct of the war so that the summit, already postponed once by the conflict, can go smoothly, analysts have told Reuters.

Mr Ali Wyne, an adviser at the International Crisis Group, said: “Given the role that China played in helping to bring Iran to the negotiating table the first time around, I imagine that China will play an important role diplomatically if Iranians could come back to the negotiating table.

“I think that China is also worried that a more protracted conflict between the United States and Iran would further strain its relationships with Gulf countries.”

Before the war, China bought more than 80 per cent of Iran’s shipped oil, data for 2025 from analytics firm Kpler shows.

Last week, China ​escalated its opposition to US sanctions against Chinese oil refineries over purchases of Iranian crude.

Its Ministry of Commerce ordered ​companies not to comply with US sanctions against five independent refiners, including the recently designated Hengli Petrochemical, invoking for the ‌first time ⁠a law that allows Beijing to retaliate against entities enforcing sanctions that it deems unlawful. REUTERS