![Wang Yi, China’s foreign minister, right, shakes hands with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi before their meeting in Beijing. [Photo: Xinhua]](https://image.ajunews.com/content/image/2026/05/06/20260506165548572966.jpg)
China and Iran’s top diplomats met Tuesday in Beijing and stressed a peaceful resolution of the Iran issue through diplomacy. Iran signaled the Strait of Hormuz could reopen soon and said it expects China to play a mediating role.
The talks came about a week before a planned summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, and the Iran war is expected to be a key agenda item.
According to China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi that the Middle East is at “an important moment” to shift “from war to peace.” Wang said a comprehensive ceasefire is essential, a return to fighting is unacceptable, and continuing negotiations is most important.
Wang reaffirmed China’s support for Iran in safeguarding its national sovereignty and security, and praised Tehran’s stated willingness to seek a political solution through diplomatic channels. On the Strait of Hormuz, Wang said the international community shares an interest in restoring normal and safe passage and urged the parties involved to respond quickly to those demands.
Araghchi said Iran will firmly defend its sovereignty and dignity while pursuing a “comprehensive and permanent” solution through peaceful negotiations. He said the issue of reopening the Strait of Hormuz “can be resolved soon,” and thanked China for efforts to prevent escalation and a breakdown. He added that Iran trusts China and hopes it will continue to play a positive role in promoting peace and ending the war.
It was Araghchi’s first visit to China since the Iran war began. The two foreign ministers have stayed in close contact since the war started, including at least three phone calls to discuss easing tensions in the region.
The meeting was held at China’s invitation and was widely seen as strategically significant because it came about a week before Trump’s visit to China.
Amir Handani, a director at the U.S. think tank Quincy Institute, told CNBC that Iran and China are coordinating interests ahead of the U.S.-China summit and that the timing was intentional. He said China wants stability in the Middle East to keep trade and energy supplies flowing and would not want inflation shocks and the risk of recession from a prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Li Mingjiang, a professor at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, told Singapore’s Lianhe Zaobao that Araghchi’s trip could give China an opportunity to play a role in easing the conflict. He said China would try to apply more indirect pressure on Iran through diplomacy, while Iran would seek to confirm China’s positions on certain issues and its willingness to support Iran.
The Iran war has also emerged as a central issue for the upcoming U.S.-China summit. On Monday, Trump said he would discuss Iran with Xi and said Xi had been favorable on the issue. Trump also said China showed the United States “a very respectful attitude” during the war. Bloomberg interpreted Trump’s remarks as an effort to ease U.S.-China tensions over the Iran war ahead of the summit.
With negotiations to end the war recently stalled, the United States has publicly raised the idea of a larger Chinese role, citing China’s position as Iran’s biggest trading partner and a major buyer of its crude oil, as well as Beijing’s close ties with key Middle East countries. Some foreign media have reported that China’s influence was also a factor behind a two-week Iran-U.S. ceasefire mediated by Pakistan last month. On May 4, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urged China in a Fox News interview to play a constructive role regarding the risk of an Iranian blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
The United States has also increased economic pressure on China. On April 24, it sanctioned China’s Hengli Group, a major refiner, for importing Iranian oil. China responded by issuing its first “sanctions blocking order,” instructing Chinese companies not to comply with U.S. sanctions. The move was seen as signaling that China would take part in efforts to resolve the Iran issue while drawing a line against unilateral U.S. pressure.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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