China hosted Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi Wednesday for the first time since the outbreak of the U.S.-Israel war on Tehran, just days before U.S. President Donald Trump’s scheduled visit to Beijing.
Wang Yi, China’s top diplomat, held a meeting with Araghchi on Wednesday morning, according to state-backed Xinhua News Agency.
Chinese state media proactively publicized the visit late Tuesday, citing a foreign ministry statement that noted Beijing initiated the invitation. But the official statement did not disclose an agenda.
Iran’s foreign ministry said the talks would cover bilateral relations, as well as regional and international issues.
“This meeting is deeply strategic,” said Amir Handjani, a board member at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. “Tehran and Beijing are aligning their interests before Trump’s summit with [Chinese President Xi Jinping], and the timing is deliberate.”
