KAZAN, RUSSIA – OCTOBER 23: Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian (not visible) during the 16th BRICS Summit to be held in Kazan, Russia, on October 23, 2024.
Iranian Presidential Palace | Anadolu | Getty Images
Chinese President Xi Jinping gave a brief, low-key audience to his Iranian counterpart, Massoud Pezeshkian, at a regional security summit, signaling Beijing’s coordinated approach to Iran, weeks before Xi’s scheduled visit to Washington.
The two leaders spoke for several minutes on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday, Iranian state media said. The rally brought together leaders from 10 countries, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The semi-official Mehr news agency said the meeting between Xi and President Pezeshiki focused on “bilateral relations in line with strengthening ties between Tehran and China,” but did not provide further details.
This was in contrast to Beijing’s approach of keeping the talks out of public view.
Chinese state media, including the Communist Party’s flagship newspaper People’s Daily, extensively covered Xi’s meetings with other visiting leaders on Tuesday, but made no mention of his meeting with Pezeshkian. In contrast, Prime Minister Modi released photos of his meeting with Iranian leaders.
“While Mr. Xi remains publicly distant from Iran, he maintains private contact with Iran,” said Han Sheng Lin, managing director for Greater China at Asia Group, a Washington-based strategic advisory firm.
In a joint statement, South African leaders condemned the military attack on Iran, while supporting the right of member states to develop civilian nuclear weapons under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. The statement stopped short of committing specific military or economic support to member states.
The absence of West Pezeshkian coverage on the front page of state-run newspapers reinforces the view that the Chinese government is “carefully managing the optics,” Lin said. He said China is trying to maintain strategic ties with Tehran without showing any signs of taking Tehran’s side, especially ahead of a meeting between President Xi and President Trump scheduled for later this month.
China has become the largest buyer of Iran’s sanctioned oil exports, but oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz have fallen sharply since the start of the war as Beijing taps its vast reserves to cut imports.
The Chinese embassy in Singapore did not respond to a request for comment.
It remains unclear whether the Chinese government will bring more public attention to this relationship after President Xi Jinping’s visit to Washington ends.
Alfredo Montúfer Hell, Beijing-based managing director of Ancra China Advisors, said there may be deeper grievances underlying the silent treatment.
While the Chinese government has been consistent in its demands from Iran, including an end to the conflict and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s leadership has largely moved in the opposite direction, Montufar Herr said. “This shows the Chinese government’s real dissatisfaction with Tehran.”
Still, Alfredo said the fact that Xi even had a private conversation on the sidelines showed Beijing was leaving the door open, and warned against reading too much into the public’s calm attitude.
Tailored approach
Although Bessent did not name China directly, he said finance ministers were “generally agreed” on the need to address these imbalances.
China’s exports ballooned its trade surplus to a record $1.2 trillion last year, but the difference has angered Western governments who say it distorts global markets and has become a central irritant in U.S.-China relations.
Dan Wang, China director at political risk consulting firm Eurasia Group, said China and the United States are “maximizing their influence” ahead of Xi’s visit. “Sideline talks with Iran are a reminder of the Iran war and Beijing’s influence across the Global South,” she said.
Wang said the Iran war is likely to dominate the agenda at the next Trump-Xi summit, and any U.S. efforts to expand secondary sanctions on Chinese banks and companies could provoke a stronger response from Beijing.
