The Kabul Tribune (KT) — Wang Yi on Wednesday began a meeting with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araqchi, in Beijing, according to China’s state news agency Xinhua.
Araqchi’s one-day visit comes a week ahead of a planned
summit between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, scheduled for May 14 and 15 in
Beijing.
The meeting takes place amid heightened tensions in the Gulf
region, where the United States and Iran have recently exchanged attacks while
competing for control over the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global
oil shipments.
Earlier this week, the situation escalated with both sides
engaging in maritime confrontations, threatening a fragile ceasefire. Trump
later said the U.S. Navy would assist commercial vessels in passing through the
strait, though the operation was paused after he announced “great progress”
toward a broader agreement with Iran.
There was no immediate response from Tehran regarding the
latest developments.
Araqchi said the recent attacks, which occurred after Iran
had signaled willingness to consider negotiations proposed by Washington,
demonstrated that there is no military solution to the crisis.
China, while maintaining a largely neutral stance, has
opposed actions it views as violations of Iran’s sovereignty and has supported
diplomatic efforts to ease tensions.
Beijing has repeatedly called on both Washington and Tehran
to uphold the ceasefire and remove restrictions affecting navigation through
the Strait of Hormuz.
Meanwhile, Tasnim News Agency reported that Araqchi arrived
in Beijing and is expected to hold talks with his Chinese counterpart on
bilateral relations as well as regional and international developments.
