China hosts Iran's top diplomat just days ahead of Trump's high-stakes visit

BEIJING, CHINA - JULY 15: Iran's Minister of Foreign Affairs Seyed Abbas Araghchi and Russia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov (not seen) hold a meeting on the sidelines of the 2025 meeting of the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers in Beijing, China on July 15, 2025. Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs | Anadolu | China hosted Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi Wednesday for the first time since the outbreak of the U.S.-Israel war on Tehran, just days before U.S. President Donald Trump 's scheduled visit to Beijing. Wang Yi, China's top diplomat, held a meeting with Araghchi on Wednesday morning, according to state-backed Xinhua News Agency. Chinese state media proactively publicized the visit late Tuesday, citing a foreign ministry statement that noted Beijing initiated the invitation. But the official statement did not disclose an agenda. Iran's foreign ministry said the talks would cover bilateral relations, as well as regional and international issues. "This meeting is deeply strategic," said Amir Handjani, a board member at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. "Tehran and Beijing are aligning their interests before Trump's summit with [Chinese President Xi Jinping], and the timing is deliberate." That said, China wants stability in the Persian Gulf to protect trade and energy flows, Handjani noted. "Chinese leadership wants tankers moving and trade flowing out of the Persian Gulf into Asian markets, he said. …