BEIJING: China-Iran diplomacy gained fresh attention after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged Tehran and Washington to rebuild their negotiating mechanism during talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
Wang met Araghchi in Beijing on September 16. China’s Foreign Ministry said Wang urged Iran and the United States to exercise restraint, return to the Islamabad memorandum, and hold substantive consultations on unresolved issues.
Araghchi told Wang that Iran did not want the conflict to continue and hoped to return to diplomatic channels while defending what Tehran considers its rights and interests, according to the Chinese government account.
The visit has prompted Iranian lawmakers and media outlets to argue that Beijing could assume a larger diplomatic role. However, China has not publicly announced itself as a formal mediator between Washington and Tehran.
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China has previously mediated a major regional agreement. In March 2023, Beijing hosted talks that produced an agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore diplomatic relations and reopen their embassies.
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The latest talks also came before Chinese President Xi Jinping’s planned visit to Washington, where he will meet U.S. President Donald Trump. Officials also expect Iran and the wider Middle East conflict to feature in discussions during the visit.
Separately, China and Russia vetoed a U.S.-drafted United Nations Security Council resolution on September 17 that would have extended an expert panel monitoring Iran sanctions. The measure received 11 votes in favor, two against and two abstentions.
