A week before U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to China, as the United States and Iran entered into a military standoff over the Strait of Hormuz, Iran's Minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi visited China to meet China's Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi. Attention is on whether China will again cast itself as a mediator and raise its profile, as it did on the 2nd when the United States and Iran agreed to a cease-fire.
According to China's state-run Xinhua News Agency on the 6th, the two held talks in Beijing at 10 a.m. local time that day. Director General Wang and Minister Araghchi have held more than three phone calls since the outbreak of the Iran war at the end of February, but this is the first time Minister Araghchi has come to China. Xinhua said the visit took place at the request of the Chinese government.
According to Al Jazeera, the talks focused mainly on maintaining the cease-fire and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Al Jazeera reported, "Minister Araghchi wants to know clearly how China will handle the Iran issue at the U.S.-China summit. In particular, he seeks assurances that China will not make concessions disadvantageous to Iran during the process of reaching agreement with the United States," adding, "In return, China wants a guarantee that Iran will not take any escalatory or dramatic actions until the U.S.-China summit."
Earlier, the United States and Iran agreed to a cease-fire on the 2nd, but resumed armed clashes a month later. Iran fired missiles and drones toward the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which had served as a bypass for exporting crude oil around the Strait of Hormuz, and the U.S. military launched Operation "Project Freedom" to support ships transiting the strait. Immediately after the start, a South Korean ship anchored in the Strait of Hormuz was damaged, raising fears of escalation, but President Trump ordered the operation halted two days later, saying there had been progress in reaching an agreement with Iran.
◇ Eight days until Trump's visit to China… U.S. presses China to resolve Iran issue
Meanwhile, the United States is pressuring China on multiple fronts, urging it to actively resolve Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. China is a major trade partner and investor for Middle Eastern countries and wields significant influence across the region. In particular, because China imports most Iranian crude and effectively serves as Iran's financial lifeline, the U.S. side is demanding that China share some responsibility.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stressed in a Fox News interview the previous day that "China needs to play a constructive role" to resolve Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Secretary Bessent said, "Iran is the largest state sponsor of terror, and China has purchased 90% of Iran's energy, so in effect it is bankrolling the largest state sponsor of terror," adding, "We urge China to join us in supporting this international operation. We will see whether China will exert diplomatic efforts to get Iran to open the strait."
The United States also tightened China-related sanctions over Iran. At the end of last month, the U.S. Department of the Treasury began sanctions on China's major refining conglomerate Hengli Group for importing Iranian crude and said it would also sanction shipping companies that transport Iranian oil to evade U.S. sanctions. Separately, three Iranian exchange houses and their front companies will also be sanctioned. The Treasury said they brokered foreign exchange transactions worth several billion dollars annually, helping Iran evade sanctions.
This public pressure on China came ahead of the U.S.-China summit set for next week. President Trump also signaled his demands regarding China's role. In a White House interview on the 5th, he said, "The Iran issue will be one of the main agenda items (at the U.S.-China summit)," adding, "China has not challenged us, and I think it will not do so going forward."
China is expected to continue its role as mediator. The aim is to strengthen the image of a responsible "major power" and further solidify its standing in the international community. At the time of last month's cease-fire agreement, China repeatedly highlighted its achievements as a mediator. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized "the restoration of peace and stability," saying, "Since the outbreak of the war, China has consistently maintained an objective, fair, and balanced position and has played a role in promoting peace. Director General Wang of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a total of 26 phone calls with Iran, Israel, and Russia and dispatched envoys to mediate the war."