Chinese and Iranian FMs meet in Beijing ahead of Xi-Trump summit

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday in Beijing, state-run Xinhua News Agency reported, with the high-level meeting taking place less than a week before a scheduled summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump. Araghchi arrived in the Chinese capital for a one-day visit aimed at strengthening diplomatic coordination between the two countries. The encounter marked the second time the two ministers have met in Beijing since Washington and Tel Aviv launched military strikes against Iran on February 28.

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. The conflict has since expanded across the Middle East, with diplomatic efforts continuing alongside the hostilities.