BEIJING – China fully supports an expert-level meeting held in Moscow on Tuesday, with representatives from Iran, China and Russia involved in discussing Iran’s nuclear program.
China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Zian said on Tuesday that Beijing supports Russia when it hosts the trilateral talks.
“I would like to reiterate that China firmly believes that solving Iran’s nuclear issue through political and diplomatic means is the only right approach,” Lin said.
The Moscow conference comes after a trilateral discussion in Beijing almost a month ago regarding Iran’s nuclear program.
On March 14, 2025, China’s Deputy Minister Ma Chaoks chaired a meeting between Russia’s Deputy Minister Sergei Lyabakov and Iran’s Deputy Minister Kazem Galibabadi.
In a statement, China and Russia welcomed Iran’s repetition that its nuclear program is intended for peaceful purposes only. Similarly, Moscow and Beijing focus on the need to fully respect Iran’s right to peaceful use of nuclear energy as a treaty under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). Furthermore, the statement underscored the importance of eliminating US sanctions against Tehran.
On the same day, Wang Yi held another meeting with the vice ministers of Iran and Russia.
Such development comes when Iran and the United States are set to hold talks on Tehran’s nuclear issue in Oman.
President Donald Trump claimed on April 7 that his administration was in direct meetings with Iran.
However, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragci said he will be engaged in indirect consultations with the US envoy of the Middle East Steve Witkov, the special envoy of Middle Eastern Europe.
Furthermore, in his remarks on Tuesday, a spokesman for China’s Foreign Ministry mentioned this upcoming meeting.
Lin denounced the US for its unilateral withdrawal from Iran’s nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
“Common countries that have unilaterally withdrawn from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and contributed to the current impasse should stop the US from showing political integrity, engaged in dialogue and consultation based on mutual respect, and relying on the threat of force and maximum pressure,” he said.
Trump unilaterally withdrew from the JCPOA and reimposed sanctions against Iran during his first term in 2018.
Trump recently threatened to bomb Iran unless Tehran reaches an agreement with Washington about nuclear activity. Iran describes Trump’s threat as a “humiliation” of global peace and security, a violation of the UN Charter, and a betrayal of safeguards under the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Iran warns that attacks the country will result in an overwhelming response to the United States.
Currently, China’s support for the Moscow Conference and efforts to resolve Iran’s nuclear issue through dialogue have highlighted Beijing’s role as a top global mediator.
China took on a key role in 2023 in promoting a settlement between Iran and Saudi Arabia.