BEIJING – The Iran-China strategic partnership has once again become prominent following debate between senior officials from both Beijing on Friday.
China’s Wang Yi hosted Foreign Minister Sergei Riabakov, Deputy Foreign Minister of Iran, Kazem Galibabadi, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergei Riabakov, at the Diayotai Guesthouse on March 14, 2025.
That day, Iran and Russia’s Deputy Ministers engaged in discussions with China’s Deputy Minister Ma Chaoks in the same place.
The talks focused on Iran’s nuclear program. China and Russia recognized Iran’s qualifications for peaceful nuclear technology and advocated for the elimination of US sanctions imposed on Tehran.
The discussion also addressed topics of other interest to the three countries, including regional and international development and cooperation within the framework of BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
In July 2023, SCO officially approved Iran’s full-scale membership. Iran has become the ninth member of the bloc, the world’s largest regional organization in terms of geographical scope and population.
Shanghai Cooperative Organization and its Secretariat in Beijing. is an intergovernmental organization founded in 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Its main purpose is to promote cooperation and maintain peace among member states.
Moreover, earlier this year, Iran officially joined BRICS five months after it was announced that the country would be accepted as a full member of the group. In addition to Iran, several other countries also joined BRICS in January 2025.
BRICS was originally made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, which collectively account for around 40% of the world’s population and a quarter of the world’s GDP.
In addition to BRICS and SCO membership, Iran and China have signed long-term cooperation agreements.
In March 2021, Iran and China established a remarkable 25-year partnership agreement with the aim of strengthening long-standing economic and political ties.
Recently, relations between the two countries have become stronger, especially during his first term, following the re-implementation of President Donald Trump’s sanctions on the Iranian economy in 2018.
Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has revived his “maximum pressure” strategy on Iran, directing his administration to implement sanctions on Tehran and to strengthen their enforcement.
Trump launched a maximum pressure policy after unilaterally withdrawing from Iran’s nuclear deal in May 2018.
He also launched a trade war with China. Trump has enacted tariffs on new blankets, about 20% of China’s exports, in addition to the existing 10% duties introduced in his first term (2017-2021). China handles up to 15% of its mandate on US agricultural products.
Currently, the meeting at Diaoyutai State Guest House has gained considerable importance amidst US pressure on both Iran and China.
Trump has issued the threat of military intervention against Iran over the nuclear program, but China is striving to address the conflict through diplomatic debate. Furthermore, China is calling on the White House to resolve trade disagreements with Beijing through negotiations.
The debate held in Beijing on Friday clearly shows that China has emerged as a key political force around the world due to its role in mediating conflict through dialogue.