Iranian Foreign Minister’s First Beijing Visit in Five Years: Nuclear Talks and Oil Exports Top the Agenda

Kathmandu — Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi is set to depart for an official visit to China on Wednesday (May 6). The Chinese Foreign Ministry confirmed the visit on Monday. This marks the highest-level engagement between China and Iran since the two nations signed a 25-year comprehensive cooperation agreement in 2021.

Araghchi has been invited by his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi. During the two-day visit, the Iranian Foreign Minister is scheduled to hold delegation-level talks with Wang Yi, as well as separate meetings with top Chinese leaders.

The visit is said to focus primarily on international efforts to revive the Iranian nuclear deal (JCPOA), unilateral US sanctions, the status of Iranian oil exports via China, and escalating tensions in West Asia. The trip is being viewed with added significance following the recent telephone conversation between the foreign ministers of Russia and Qatar concerning the Strait of Hormuz crisis.

A spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry stated at a regular press briefing, “China and Iran enjoy a traditional friendship. We are confident that this visit will elevate strategic cooperation to new heights.” The Iranian side has also indicated it will express gratitude for Beijing’s solidarity in continuing oil trade despite sanctions.

The visit comes on the heels of an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report revealing that Iran has surpassed 60 percent uranium enrichment, drawing keen interest from Western powers. China has repeatedly urged all parties to return to the negotiating table and maintains its position that the 2015 nuclear deal must serve as the foundation.

During the visit, separate agreements are expected to be signed on the Tehran-Beijing railway project under infrastructure cooperation, joint investments in the petrochemical industry, and the digital economy. According to sources, China also intends to put forward a proposal to establish an integrated payment system while maintaining Iran as its third-largest trading partner under the Belt and Road Initiative.

Araghchi is scheduled to return to Tehran on Thursday following his two-day stay.