China on Wednesday called on Iran and the United States to exercise wisdom and restraint and return to the Islamabad memorandum of understanding, urging the resumption of substantive consultations to reduce tensions between Tehran and Washington. The call came during a meeting in Beijing between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi.
China calls for reopening Strait of Hormuz
Wang also urged all parties to take effective measures to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as soon as possible, with the aim of preserving the stability of international energy transport and supply chains. The Chinese minister said his country has a comprehensive strategic partnership with Iran and that Beijing is ready to strengthen dialogue and cooperation with Tehran and actively defend its legitimate rights and interests.
He also said China did not want regional tensions to spread further to Yemen and the Red Sea. The talks come a week before an expected visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to Washington, where he is scheduled to meet US President Donald Trump.
Focus of Araghchi’s visit to Beijing
Araghchi’s visit to Beijing is addressing ways to reduce tensions in the Gulf and manage the fallout from the escalation between Iran and the United States, as well as maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz and Iranian dialogue with the Gulf states, China’s Global Times reported. The visit comes amid intensive contacts between Beijing and Tehran and follows an earlier meeting between the two foreign ministers on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in New Delhi.
China’s interest in the talks is linked to the importance of stable maritime routes in the region for energy security and trade. Liu Zhongmin, a professor at the Middle East Studies Institute at Shanghai International Studies University, said the visit provides an opportunity for more focused bilateral communication amid rapid developments in the Gulf and Iranian-US tensions.
He added that exchanges between the two countries reflect their need to coordinate positions and exchange assessments on regional issues and bilateral relations. According to estimates cited by the newspaper, the talks are likely to focus on supporting dialogue channels between Iran and the Gulf states, containing tensions related to the Strait of Hormuz and steering them toward a political settlement.
Chen Tian, deputy director of the Institute of Middle East Studies at the Chinese Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, believes Tehran is looking for continued political and economic support from Beijing and hopes China can help find a way out of the current tensions in Iranian-US relations.
