Iran, China reaffirm strategic partnership during Araghchi’s visit
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Iran and China discuss advancing their 25-year cooperation roadmap as Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi meets with Chinese officials to strengthen bilateral and multilateral ties.
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Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi attends a joint press conference with Russian Foreign Minister following their talks in Moscow on April 18, 2025 (POOL/AFP)
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with China's First Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang in Beijing to reaffirm the long-standing Iran-China strategic partnership and discuss accelerating the implementation of their 25-year cooperation roadmap, Iran's Mehr news agency reported.
Araghchi, visiting Beijing at the invitation of his Chinese counterpart, held talks with Ding on Wednesday. Both sides reviewed ongoing cooperation under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and explored ways to boost bilateral initiatives under the 25-year comprehensive cooperation program.
During the meeting, Araghchi described China as a strategic and trustworthy partner, stressing the importance of enhancing both bilateral and multilateral cooperation. He highlighted frameworks such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and BRICS as key platforms for expanding ties.
Araghchi emphasized the need for Iran-China multilateral cooperation to counter unilateralism and global bullying, reaffirming Iran’s commitment to deepen ties with China.
He also shared Iran's concerns over regional and international issues, particularly condemning the genocide "Israel" is committing in the occupied Palestinian territories and US aggression on Yemen, calling for a firm global response to uphold international law.
Iran-China dialogue on sanctions and nuclear negotiations
The Iranian Foreign Minister briefed Chinese officials on the ongoing indirect sanctions and nuclear talks with the United States, reiterating Iran’s willingness to pursue diplomacy with seriousness.
He appreciated China's consistent support for Iran’s civilian nuclear program.
Araghchi highlighted that “China and Russia are two strategic partners and close friends of ours who stood by us in times of difficulty," adding that “it is natural that we have continuous and permanent consultations with them in various fields, especially now that there are indirect talks with the United States.”
Stressing that he had a similar meeting with senior Russian officials in Moscow last week, Araghchi expressed hope for good discussions in Beijing as he is to convey Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian's message to Chinese authorities.
“China has played an important and constructive role in Iran’s nuclear issue in the past, and certainly this role needs to continue. We will keep our consultations with China as a member of the Security Council, a member of the [IAEA's] Board of Governors, as well as a partner of the Islamic Republic of Iran and a country with a pedigree in nuclear matters,” the Iranian FM said.
“China has always held constructive positions on the nuclear issue of Iran, and we appreciate China's constructive and positive stance. Currently, China's position upholds the ongoing negotiations, and they have also expressed readiness to assist and cooperate, the details of which we will discuss today,” he added.
Touching on the nuclear discussions, Araghchi indicated that "talks with the US are going in the right direction," but noted that "it's still too soon to judge."
He said that Iran Is "cautiously optimistic" about the outcomes of the talks, adding if the Americans continue to engage in "a constructive way and avoid any unrealistic, any undoable demands, I am confident that we can get to somewhere and we can conclude a good deal at the end."
South-South cooperation
On his part, Ding welcomed the growth in Iran-China relations, describing their partnership as rooted in mutual trust, respect, and shared interests.
He reaffirmed China’s commitment to elevate cooperation with Iran across all areas and stressed the value of South-South cooperation.
Ding also voiced support for Iran’s efforts to lift sanctions and continue engagement on nuclear issues.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei noted that Araghchi’s visit reflects the deepening “historical-civilizational” ties between Tehran and Beijing.
“Continuous and close consultations between the two sides at high levels are a clear manifestation of determination from leaders of the two countries to expand relations in all areas of interest to the two nations,” he indicated on his account on X.
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