China’s Mediating Role Tested as Iran’s Foreign Minister Visits Beijing

Tehran, Iran – Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visited China in May, shortly before U.S. President Donald Trump’s own trip to the country.

Araghchi is expected to return to Beijing on Wednesday, marking his second visit to the Chinese capital since the US‑Israel conflict with Iran began in late February. The visit again precedes a scheduled meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, set for later this September in Washington.

During his stay, Araghchi is slated to meet his Chinese counterpart, Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

His May and September visits underscore China’s positioning as a neutral actor seeking to end the hostilities.

Earlier this week in New Delhi, Xi urged the BRICS bloc of Global South nations to act as peacemakers in the Middle East, emphasizing China’s readiness to cooperate on such efforts.

War diplomacy

While Xi hinted at a possible explicit US‑Iran mediation role in his BRICS address, he stopped short of announcing any concrete initiative.

Instead, he reiterated a broad four‑point framework for Middle East de‑escalation, focusing on peaceful coexistence, respect for national sovereignty, compliance with international law, and a balance between development and security.

Analysts note that, although China desires an end to a war that has roiled financial and energy markets, it has historically avoided deep involvement in third‑party disputes and risky diplomatic ventures.

Within Iran, reactions to Xi’s recent comments have been mixed.

Former Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Sunday that Xi’s “constructive initiatives offer timely openings to de‑escalate tensions,” adding that multilateral diplomacy “is the only viable path to stability.”

However, Hamed Vafaei, a professor of Chinese literature at the University of Tehran and a China researcher, argued that viewing Xi’s remarks as an offer to mediate between Iran and the United States amounts to a “free interpretation” rather than a reflection of reality.

Nuclear file, sanctions and military cooperation

Araghchi is also expected to discuss Iran’s nuclear program with China, while Washington seeks to renew scrutiny of Tehran’s activities.

Last week, the United States and its European allies—France, Germany, and the United Kingdom—succeeded in persuading the IAEA Board of Governors to refer Iran’s case to the UN Security Council.

The previous referral occurred two decades ago and led to six UN Security Council resolutions against Iran, accompanied by sweeping sanctions that severely damaged the country’s economy.

This time, however, the referral is expected to be largely symbolic, as China and Russia have voiced strong opposition and retain the ability to veto any new Security Council measures.

Western pressure on Tehran persists elsewhere; Iran’s nuclear chief, Mohammad Eslami, was barred from attending this week’s IAEA General Conference in Vienna due to “snapback” sanctions reimposed by European powers last year.

The United States continues to expand its sanctions against Iran, launching “Operation Economic Outcast” to further isolate the Iranian government internationally while also seeking to strangle the country through a naval blockade of its southern ports.

Numerous China‑linked refineries, companies, and financial channels accused of facilitating transactions with Iran have likewise been targeted by the sanctions, though major Chinese banks have remained unaffected thus far.

On Monday, however, the U.S. Treasury placed Russia’s VTB Bank on the Iran sanctions list. Although China was not mentioned, VTB is the second‑largest Russian bank and the only one with a licensed branch in mainland China, granting it direct access to the country’s national payment system.

China remains the top purchaser of Iranian crude oil and has pledged to safeguard its interests despite the sanctions, continuing to buy Iranian oil stored outside the reach of the U.S. blockade.

China’s connections to Iran’s military capabilities also attracted U.S. attention this week after the Wall Street Journal reported that Iran had obtained high‑resolution satellite imagery from Chinese entities prior to an attack on a U.S. military base in Jordan that killed three American soldiers.

When questioned by reporters, Trump downplayed the incident, remarking that the Chinese were “basically doing what we do.”

In a separate comment, Trump said, “I think he’s behaved reasonably well,” referring to Xi, and added, “When they claim China spies on us, I agree—and we spy on them as well.”

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