Iran briefs China on US talks, pushes to fast-track 25-year pact
Iran briefed China on Tehran’s negotiations with Washington and called for accelerated implementation of the 25-year strategic cooperation pact, Iranian media reported Wednesday.
“The Islamic Republic is proceeding with diplomacy seriously and in good faith, despite bitter past experiences,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said during a meeting with China's First Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang on Wednesday, held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
Araghchi is to hold a third round of talks with US envoy Steve Witkoff on Saturday.
The Iranian foreign minister and his Chinese hosts also discussed accelerating the implementation of the 25-year agreement, first signed in 2021, which envisions Chinese investment in Iran’s energy and infrastructure sectors in exchange for long-term energy supply commitments.
However, its implementation has lagged amid sanctions, Chinese investments in Iran so far meager, and the exact details of which remain top secret. Projects like the South Pars gas field development and the Gohardasht Steel project have encountered hurdles, with Chinese firms retracting or terminating their investments.
The comprehensive strategic partnership announced in 2016 saw the two countries plan to increase trade to $600 billion by 2026 while in 2023, according to the International Monetary Fund’s Direction of Trade Statistics dataset, the volume of trade reached just $12.5 billion.
During the Wednesday meeting in Beijing, the Chinese vice premier called the relationship with Iran “a product of mutual trust and shared interests,” and said China would work to expand coordination across regional and international platforms.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on X on Tuesday, "With a shared outlook on many international issues, and by relying on mutual trust and respect, Iran and China are resolutely advancing their efforts to safeguard the mutual interests of their nations."
Upon his arrival in China, Araghchi described China and Russia as “strategic partners and close friends who have supported Tehran in difficult times.”
He said Iran would maintain close consultation with China moving forward.
“We will definitely continue our consultations with China as a member of the Security Council, a member of the IAEA Board of Governors, and a country with experience in the nuclear issue,” Araghchi added.
Earlier, a source familiar with the matter told Iran International that Iran’s Supreme Leader delivered a message through Araghchi to Chinese President Xi Jinping, reaffirming Iran’s long-term commitment to the strategic partnership regardless of the outcome of the nuclear negotiations.
