BEIJING, CHINA – JULY 15: Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (not visible) hold talks on the sidelines of the 2025 Council of Foreign Ministers of South African Countries on July 15, 2025 in Beijing, China.
Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs | Anadolu | Getty Images
China on Wednesday hosted Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi for the first time since the outbreak of the US-Israel war in Tehran, days before US President Donald Trump’s scheduled visit to Beijing.
China’s top diplomat Wang Yi met with Araghchi on Wednesday morning, state news agency Xinhua said.
Chinese state media aggressively promoted the visit late Tuesday, citing a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that said the Chinese side had led the invitation. However, the agenda was not disclosed in the official statement.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry said the talks would not only address bilateral relations but also regional and international issues.
“This conference is very strategic,” said Amir Khanjani, director of the Quincy Institute for Responsible States. “The timing is intentional, as Iran and China align their interests ahead of the summit between President Trump and (Chinese President Xi Jinping).”
That said, Handjani noted that China wants stability in the Persian Gulf to protect trade and energy flows.
“China’s leadership wants tankers to move and trade to flow from the Persian Gulf to Asian markets. China does not want the inflationary shock and potential recession that a prolonged blockade would cause across the region,” he said.
Since the Iran war broke out on February 28, Mr. Wang and Mr. Araghchi have spoken by phone at least three times. Beijing has repeatedly called for an immediate cease-fire and for commercial ships to be allowed to freely navigate the Strait of Hormuz. In late April, Chinese President Xi Jinping urged “normal traffic” in the vital waterway.
Before the war, about 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passed through this strait. But commercial traffic has slowed sharply in recent weeks.
China, the world’s biggest buyer of Gulf oil and gas, has absorbed the Hormuz shock, but its domestic reserves and diversified energy mix provide some cushion.
Ahead of President Trump’s widely anticipated visit to China on May 14-15, US presidential aides have called on Beijing to pressure Iran to resume commercial shipping.
The head of a Beijing-linked think tank previously told CNBC that despite facilitating a temporary ceasefire last month, China lacks the ability or inclination to pressure either side to negotiate.
Danny Russell, a distinguished fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute, said the visit to China was a way for Iran to show the United States “that it is not alone and that it has friends and options” as Iranian leaders seek to strengthen their negotiating position in the conflict with the United States and deter new American attacks.
Russell added that Tehran is expected to seek assurances from Beijing about oil flows, financial channels and diplomatic support for any new U.S. military action.
In return, he hopes Beijing will encourage Iran to stop threatening Gulf infrastructure and commercial shipping and move toward reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Russell said the trip could be an opportunity for Xi to position China as a responsible power ahead of Trump’s visit, while limiting risks to China itself.
The visit came as both sides traded blows ahead of the summit meeting. In an unprecedented act of defiance, China has pushed back against U.S. government sanctions on Chinese refiners for purchasing Iranian oil, for the first time invoking a “block rule” that instructs companies not to comply with U.S. sanctions.
At a high level, the offset order “puts U.S. companies in a position where they have to choose between following the US regulatory system and China’s regulatory system,” said Han Sheng Lin, Asia Group’s China managing director.
President Trump’s scheduled Beijing summit, which has been postponed for more than a month due to the Iran war, could be an important opportunity for the US president to reduce friction and secure commitments from China to purchase US agricultural products, industrial products, and energy in the run-up to November’s midterm elections.
Analysts warn that conflict over Iran risks derailing that plan.
“Even if President Trump believes that China is simply providing diplomatic protection while preserving Iran’s economic viability, he is at a disadvantage,” Russell said. “He needs the Chinese government to restrain Tehran, not empower it.”
