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China FM says willing to ‘safeguard’ Iran’s rights
Araghchi hopes US return to diplomacy to end war
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Beijing was willing to “safeguard” Iran’s rights during talks with his counterpart Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday, as the Asian power seeks to mediate in Washington’s war with Tehran that broke out in late February.
China is “willing to strengthen dialogue and cooperation with Iran, and safeguard Iran’s legitimate rights and interests”, Wang told Araghchi as they met in the Chinese capital, AFP reported.
“We encourage Iran and the US to stay rational and restrained,” he added.
The talks come one week before an expected trip by Chinese President Xi Jinping to Washington, where he will meet US President Donald Trump.
China, a top economic partner of Iran, has long sought a detente in the months-long conflict in the Middle East, which has at times spilled over into neighboring countries.
“We do not wish to see regional tensions spilling over into Yemen and the Red Sea,” Wang said. Recent fighting that flared up in Yemen between the Houthis and Saudi-backed forces saw Houthi fighters taking over key areas around the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
“The continued protracted conflict between the US and Iran is not in the common interest of the parties involved or the international community,” the Chinese minister said, urging Iran and the US to return to a peace memo the signed in mid-June and conduct “substantive consultations on their respective concerns”.
He also voiced China’s support for dialogue between Iran with Persian Gulf Arab states.
Araghchi said Iran does not want the conflict to continue and hopes to return to diplomatic channels for resolution, while firmly safeguarding its own rights and interests.
“Iran believes the US-Iran memorandum of understanding remains valid, and that Iran has reached an agreement with Oman on opening the Strait of Hormuz; the US should earnestly fulfill its commitments,” Araghchi said.
Araghchi noted that Iran highly values its relations with China and is willing to continue to firmly support each other, maintain close exchanges at all levels, deepen pragmatic cooperation, jointly address challenges, and promote the sustained and in-depth development of bilateral relations.