Above photo: Iranian Foreign Ministry/AFP.
Araghchi’s visit coincided with an ongoing trade war between Beijing and Washington.
As well as continued US sanctions on Iran despite the current nuclear talks.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visited China and held talks with Chinese officials on 23 April, discussing several matters including bilateral cooperation and developments in West Asia, while also briefing Beijing on ongoing nuclear talks with Washington.
Araghchi met with Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang to discuss “interaction within the framework of the comprehensive agreement on strategic cooperation and weighing plans to expedite the implementation of the 25-year road map,” according to Tasnim news agency.
Iran and China signed the 25-year Comprehensive Cooperation Agreement in March 2021. The deal includes cooperation in energy, finance, transportation, and trade, as well as military and security.
During the meeting, Araghchi described China as Iran’s “strategic and reliable partner.”
They also discussed cooperation within the framework of the BRICS+ group of emerging economies and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). Iran is a member of both organizations.
Araghchi also stressed “the need for closer interaction among like-minded states, such as Iran and China, to counter the bullying policies and unilateralism.”
The Iranian visit comes amid an ongoing trade war between China and the US.
Since returning to the White House in January, US President Donald Trump has imposed heavy tariffs on China and other countries in an effort to reduce the US trade deficit and the ballooning US debt.
China has responded by increasing tariffs on US imports, including US-sourced natural gas imports. Beijing has warned it would retaliate against countries that make deals with Washington that hurt the country’s interests, in response to reports that Trump plans to pressure governments to restrict trade with China in exchange for exemptions from US tariffs.
Araghchi’s trip to China also coincides with continued US sanctions on Iran – despite nuclear talks between the two countries – as well as a brutal US bombing campaign on Yemen and an ongoing genocide carried out by Israel against Palestinians in Gaza.
The Iranian foreign minister “warned against the dire consequences of the Israeli regime’s genocidal crimes in Palestine, its belligerent actions in the region, and the US’s recurrent acts of aggression against Yemen,” according to Tasnim.
He also briefed Xuexiang on the nuclear talks with the US and noted that Iran “has opted for diplomacy with seriousness and goodwill.”
The talks have reportedly been positive, and an agreement on a “general framework” for a potential deal has been made, according to the Iranian Foreign Ministry.
Despite this, the US Treasury Department issued new sanctions on 22 April targeting Iranian liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) magnate Asadollah Emamjomeh and his corporate network, in line with Trump’s “maximum pressure” campaign.
China has condemned US sanctions on Iran, particularly those targeting Chinese firms that import Iranian oil.