Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi in Beijing on May 6, offering some of China's most pointed criticism of the US-Israel conflict with Iran yet, just days before US President Donald Trump is scheduled to arrive in China for a state visit.
The timing was difficult to ignore. Trump is due in Beijing on May 14–15, and the meeting with Araghchi marked Tehran's most senior diplomatic engagement with China since the US and Israel launched military operations against Iran on February 28.
Wang told Araghchi that China "supports Iran in safeguarding its national sovereignty and security," while calling a complete cessation of hostilities "imperative" and warning that restarting the conflict would be "unacceptable." He also condemned what he described as "warmongering by the US and Israel," language that Iranian outlets quickly framed as evidence of deepening Sino-Iranian alignment.
Araghchi, for his part, said the talks were constructive and that Tehran "trusts the Chinese side" to continue playing a role in pushing for peace. He also expressed support for a Chinese four-point proposal on regional stability, though its details have not been made public.
我在北京同中国外长王毅进行了富有建设性的会谈。双方重申伊朗有权维护国家主权和民族尊严，伊方赞赏中方提出的关于维护和促进地区和平稳定的四点主张。伊方信任中方，期待中方为促和止战继续发挥积极作用，并支持建立能够统筹发展与安全的战后地区新架构。pic.twitter.com/esQRcapEGx
— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi)May 6, 2026
Yet the meeting carried a dual message that complicated the narrative of unconditional Chinese backing. Wang separately raised concerns about the Strait of Hormuz — which has remained effectively blocked since earlier this year, disrupting global energy supplies — urging all parties to restore "normal and safe passage." China, which depends heavily on energy imports from Saudi Arabia and the UAE, has been notably alarmed by price spikes linked to the strait's closure.
Iranian media offered competing interpretations of Beijing's motives. Iran International reported that economic daily Donya-ye-Eqtesad linked China's sharper tone to the approaching Trump summit, arguing Beijing was seeking a de-escalation framework while pushing back against US pressure over Hormuz. Separately, financial site Tahlil Bazaar pointed to articles in the Chinese Communist Party journal Qiushi portraying the conflict as a costly strategic miscalculation for Washington — a narrative that aligns with Beijing's broader messaging even as China stops well short of offering Tehran material backing.
On the nuclear question, Wang acknowledged Iran's right to peaceful nuclear energy use while praising Tehran's stated commitment against developing weapons — a position that puts Beijing directly at odds with Trump, who has threatened to remove Iran's enriched uranium by force.
The visit was the first face-to-face meeting between the two foreign ministers since the war began. Araghchi had also recently visited Pakistan, Oman and Russia, suggesting Tehran is working multiple diplomatic tracks simultaneously as Iran-US negotiations remain stalled.
The war has killed more than 3,300 people in Iran and displaced tens of thousands. At least 13 US service members have been killed in the conflict, with Iran conducting retaliatory strikes on US military assets across the region.
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