
scmp.com
Dec 28, 2024
Mideast and Trump front of mind as China, Iran foreign ministers meet in Beijing
As Tehran’s proxies take big blows, the two sides find common ground on need for ceasefire in Gaza and help for Syria
by Zhao Ziwen
With less than a month to go until Donald Trump’s return to office, Beijing has pledged further cooperation with sanctions hit-Tehran on “mutual core interests”.
In talks with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi in the Chinese capital on Saturday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi also voiced Beijing’s commitment to Tehran’s participation in Beijing-led multilateral frameworks as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and Brics.
“The two sides should continue to support each other on issues of mutual core interests, steadily advance practical cooperation, and improve collaboration in the multilateral sphere,” the Chinese foreign ministry quoted Wang as saying.
“We should closely coordinate and cooperate within the framework of the SCO … and we will further strengthen Brics and better safeguard the common interests of the Global South,” he said, referring to a group of emerging economies, including Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
The meeting also addressed conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon, where Tehran’s proxies, the Islamist groups Hamas and Hezbollah, are main players.
“Both sides agreed that the solution to the Palestinian issue requires respect for and restoration of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people and an end to the occupation [of Gaza],” the ministry said.
“An immediate ceasefire, a full withdrawal of troops, and urgent humanitarian assistance are imperative. The ceasefire agreement in Lebanon must [also] be implemented effectively and efficiently.”
Araghchi and Wang also agreed that the two countries would work together to counter terrorism, and promote reconciliation in Syria, which until this month was ruled by the Tehran-friendly regime of Bashar al-Assad.
Wang also urged Iran to keep up communication with Saudi Arabia, following last year’s Beijing-brokered peace deal between the regional powers.
The Iranian foreign minister’s two-day visit reflects the continued strong ties between the two countries.
China is now Iran’s economic lifeline, as the Islamic republic’s biggest trading partner and buyer of its oil, reportedly importing shipments through third countries to avoid sanctions.
Beijing also helped sanctions-hit Iran to avoid complete international isolation, encouraging Tehran to play a part Brics and the SCO.
So much so that the strategic partnership is “a priority of Iran’s foreign policy”, according to Araghchi.
In addition, Araghchi said Beijing would be an “essential” partner in dialogue about Tehran’s nuclear future, a veiled reference to Trump, who withdrew Washington from an Iran nuclear deal during his first term in office.
“Our nuclear discussions will encounter new dynamics in the coming year, making increased dialogue with China essential,” the Tehran Times quoted him as saying on Friday.
China has also been a vocal source of support for Iran several times on the international stage, particularly since the war in Gaza erupted.
In September, when fears of an all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah – the Lebanon-based, Iran-backed militant and political group – escalated, Wang told Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian that “China has always been a trustworthy partner of Iran and will, as always, support Iran”.
A month later on the sidelines of the Brics summit in Russia, Chinese President Xi Jinping had his own words of support for Pezeshkian.
“Regardless of changes in the international and regional situation, China will unwaveringly develop cooperation with Iran,” Xi said.
That support may be more important than ever when Trump takes office in January.
Trump’s cabinet picks for Middle East affairs are particularly hawkish and include Massad Boulos as his Middle East adviser, Steve Witkoff as his special envoy to the region, and Mike Huckabee as the ambassador to Israel.
The choices suggest that the incoming administration will reinforce Iran’s economic and geopolitical isolation, a position spelled out when Boulos told French news magazine Le Point that Trump would again pursue a “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran.
The maximum pressure strategy was applied during Trump’s first presidency, with a series of sanctions against Iran.
Iran is also under pressure from within the Middle East, with devastating blows to a number of proxies, including to Hamas and Hezbollah by Israel, and Assad’s downfall in Syria.
Araghchi told the Tehran Times that throughout those events, China and Iran “have consistently maintained close consultations” on all regional and international matters.
He said China and Iran “aim to strategise and prepare for the challenges ahead, including those related to the region, global developments, and the United Nations Security Council”.