Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing on Wednesday, as efforts to broker a peace deal between Tehran and Washington pick up pace amid the United States president’s announcement of a pause on attempts to forcibly open the Strait of Hormuz.
The visit — and its timing — underscore what analysts say are China’s significant stakes in the US-Iran war, and the role Beijing could play in influencing the direction of the conflict. “We believe that a comprehensive ceasefire brooks no delay, a resumption of hostilities is inadvisable, and persisting with negotiations is particularly important,” Wang told Araghchi at the start of their meeting, according to footage released by Hong Kong-based Phoenix TV.
The visit comes a week before Trump is due to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on May 14 and 15. Earlier, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged China to press Iran to ease its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas passes.
The meeting comes against a backdrop of mounting tensions between Tehran and Washington over the strategic waterway. Iran moved to restrict shipping through the Strait of Hormuz after the war began, while the US imposed its own blockade on Iranian ports following the April ceasefire in an effort to force Tehran to accept Washington’s terms in negotiations.
The disruption to shipping through the strait, which has sent shockwaves through the global economy, has at times also deepened tensions between Washington and Beijing, with China particularly affected by the disruption of Gulf energy flows to East Asia. Throughout the conflict, China has tried to balance criticism of the US with calls for regional stability.
During Wednesday’s meeting, Wang again condemned US and Israeli military actions against Iran as “illegitimate”, according to Iran’s semiofficial Tasnim News Agency. Beijing has repeatedly framed the conflict as a violation of international law while stopping short of fully endorsing every Iranian move.
China has also criticised the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as a dangerous escalation that risked returning international politics to “the law of the jungle”. Alongside Russia, Beijing has vetoed efforts at the United Nations Security Council to condemn Iran’s actions in the Strait of Hormuz.
At the same time, China has resisted growing US pressure over its economic ties with Tehran. Washington has sanctioned Chinese firms accused of purchasing Iranian oil. Beijing responded by instructing Chinese companies not to comply with the sanctions.
However, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent still publicly urged China to use its influence with Tehran to help de-escalate the crisis, signs of the recent thaw in US-China relations following a preliminary trade agreement reached late last year.
Jodie Wen, a researcher at the Center for International Security and Strategy (CISS) at Tsinghua University in Beijing, said China’s messaging has largely focused on preventing further instability around the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for Chinese energy imports and trade.
“I think China will try its best to persuade Iran back to the negotiating table and let the Strait of Hormuz become as open as before,” Wen said.
Source: Here