Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with his Chinese counterpart in Beijing on Wednesday. Iran’s Foreign Ministry has not yet released additional details about the meeting, which comes against the backdrop of regional escalation and diplomatic deadlock between Tehran and Washington.
1+According to AFP, the Chinese minister confirmed that “China and Iran are bound by a comprehensive strategic partnership, and China is ready to strengthen dialogue and cooperation with Iran and effectively defend its legitimate rights and interests.”
However, China’s Foreign Ministry conveyed during the meeting with Araghchi that its willingness is to defend Iran’s “legitimate interests” in the context of the regional conflict—a statement interpreted by parts of the international press as criticism of Iran’s attempt to preserve its nuclear facilities at all costs.
1+The visit comes amid internal Iranian debate about a “cooling” in relations between Iran and China. This follows a brief phone call two weeks ago between Iran’s president and Chinese President Xi Jinping that sparked controversy. Iran tried to leverage its good relationship with Beijing and hoped China would help it economically damage the U.S., but China’s refusal caused a chill and deterioration in relations between the countries.
Beyond that call, Iran accused China after it refused a visit by Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, conditioning the visit on terms including reopening the Strait of Hormuz, waiving transit fees, ending tensions with Saudi Arabia, and resolving the conflict with the United States. However, Iran’s special envoy to China and the Iranian Foreign Ministry quickly denied the truth of these claims.