China has urged Iran and the US to remain rational, exercise restraint, return to the Islamabad memorandum and "engage in substantive consultations on issues of mutual concern," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Iranian counterpart in Beijing on Wednesday, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
"We urge all parties to take effective measures to reopen the Strait of Hormuz at an early date," Wang Yi said, adding that China "does not want to see regional tensions to spill over further into Yemen and the Red Sea."
China's policy toward Iran has remained consistent and stable, and China is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with Iran, Wang said.
The two diplomats last convened in the Chinese capital in May, a meeting that also preceded a Trump-Xi summit. Wang and Araghchi were seen having a brief conversation over the weekend at the BRICS summit in New Delhi, where both ministers attended the gathering of emerging market nations. The repeated high-level consultations underscore the close diplomatic channel Beijing and Tehran have maintained throughout the ongoing regional conflict.
Economic partnership amid regional conflict
China and Iran maintain what both sides describe as a "comprehensive strategic partnership," driven primarily by Beijing's status as one of the largest importers of Iranian oil a relationship cemented by discounted energy exports. Bilateral trade volume between the two countries climbed to over $41 billion last year, according to official figures.
The economic ties have persisted despite mounting tensions in the Middle East triggered by the US-Israeli military campaign against Iranian targets.
The United States and Israel launched large-scale attacks on Iran on February 28, targeting government buildings, military sites, missile infrastructure and air defenses across the Islamic Republic. Iran responded with missile and drone attacks against Israeli territory and American military bases throughout the region.
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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has travelled to Beijing for talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East. The visit comes shortly before a planned meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and… pic.twitter.com/hF6sueR27J
China FM says willing to 'safeguard' Iran's rights: AFP
China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Beijing was willing to "safeguard" Iran's rights during talks with his counterpart Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday, as Beijing seeks to mediate in Tehran's war with the United States.
China is "willing to strengthen dialogue and cooperation with Iran, and safeguard Iran's legitimate rights and interests", Wang told Araghchi as they met in the Chinese capital.
"We encourage Iran and the US to stay rational and restrained," he added. The talks come one week before an expected trip by Chinese President Xi Jinping to Washington, where he will meet US President Donald Trump.
China, a top economic partner of Iran, has long sought a detente in the months-long conflict in the Middle East, which has at times spilled over into neighbouring countries.
"We do not wish to see regional tensions spilling over into Yemen and the Red Sea," Wang said. Recent fighting that flared up in Yemen between government forces and the Iran-backed Houthis has displaced more than 100,000 people inside the country while thousands have fled abroad, according to the United Nations.
The war in Iran will be a closely watched topic at Xi's meeting with Trump, among other thorny issues ranging from trade to competition over artificial intelligence.
Beijing refuted this week US media reports that Chinese entities supplied Tehran with satellite images of a military base housing US troops in Jordan, before and after an Iranian strike killed three American soldiers. Trump has warned Beijing not to sell weapons to Iran, and Washington sanctioned three China-based satellite companies in May for enabling Iran's military operations.