China calls for end to Iran war and Hormuz to reopen during Araghchi visit

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has met his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, in Beijing as tensions with the United States mount over the Strait of Hormuz.

Araghchi’s visit on Wednesday comes a week before US President Donald Trump visits Beijing for a summit with President Xi Jinping on May 14 and 15.

During the meeting, Araghchi said China is a close friend of Iran and bilateral “cooperation will even become stronger under current circumstances”, the Iranian Students’ News Agency reported.

“We will do our best to protect our legitimate rights and interests in the negotiations. … We only accept a fair and comprehensive agreement,” he ‌said of talks between Iran and the US to end the US-Israeli war on Iran, which has disrupted regional energy infrastructure and global oil and gas supplies.

Wang called for Iran and the US to reopen the strait “as soon as possible”, according to a Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement.

“China considers that a complete cessation of fighting must be achieved without delay, that it is even more unacceptable to restart hostilities, and that continuing to negotiate remains essential,” the statement added.

Araghchi’s trip to Beijing marks his first visit to China – a close ally of Tehran – since the war began on February 28. Araghchi had spoken with Wang by telephone at least three times since the outbreak of hostilities.

Reporting from Beijing, Al Jazeera’s Katrina Yu said Iran had three main points it wanted to get across to Beijing during the meeting: its position on the war, reaffirming its ties with China before Trump’s arrival and securing continued economic and diplomatic support.

“The timing is significant, and I think this meeting with Donald Trump expected next week is one of the reasons that the foreign minister from Iran made his first visit to China in person since the beginning of the war,” Yu said.

The meeting was also an opportunity for Iran to say it appreciates China’s role in trying to end the war and it wants “a fair and comprehensive agreement” with the US, especially because the Trump administration has been pressuring Beijing to influence Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz, she said.

“Iran potentially is looking for clarity from Beijing that it’s not going to give any concessions to the Trump administration that may damage its own interests,” Yu said.

While China has been critical of the US naval blockade of Iranian ports, it is increasingly frustrated with Tehran’s continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz, she added.

Earlier in Washington, DC, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on Beijing to press Iran to lift its chokehold on the only maritime exit from the Gulf.

Iran in effect closed the strait – through which one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies pass – after the war began, pushing fuel and fertiliser prices sharply higher and prompting fears of a global recession.

After a ceasefire in April, the US imposed its own blockade on Iranian ports in a bid to compel Tehran to agree to Washington’s terms in peace talks.

The war has also strained relations between Washington and Beijing with the US sanctioning Chinese companies it accuses of buying billions of dollars of Iranian oil. Beijing hit back on Saturday when the Ministry of Commerce ordered Chinese companies not to comply with the sanctions.

‘No peace, no war’

Ma Xiaolin, dean at the Institute for International Studies on the Mediterranean Rim at Zhejiang International Studies University, said he believes Iran is looking for China to mediate in the talks with the US.

“Right now, Iran and America are in a very difficult moment. There’s no peace, no negotiation and no war. Both Tehran and Washington need to break through the crisis to make a peace agreement. China is an influential superpower which has good relations with Iran and with America,” he told Al Jazeera.

“In advance of Trump’s visit to China, I think Iran hopes China will do something to push ahead America to change its policy towards Iran, and also Iran will want to enhance its Belt and Road relationship with China, particularly in energy and oil supply,” Ma said, referring to China’s Belt and Road Initiative, an international infrastructure and economic development project.

Araghchi made his visit to China as Trump announced a suspension of a US military operation to escort stranded ships through the Strait of Hormuz.

The effort, which began on Monday, ratcheted up tensions as the US military claimed it sank several Iranian boats that tried to interfere in the operation. The United Arab Emirates also reported coming under missile and drone attacks from Iran with one assault sparking a fire at an oil refinery. Tehran denies launching the attacks.

Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform that the pause was based “on the request of Pakistan and other Countries” and because “Great Progress has been made toward a Complete and Final Agreement with Representatives of Iran”.

Pakistan has been leading mediation efforts for a peace deal between Iran and the US.

The two sides held direct talks in Islamabad on April 11 and 12, but the negotiations ended without an agreement. Key sticking points include US demands for Iran to halt all uranium enrichment and Tehran’s wish to continue to exercise control over the Strait of Hormuz.