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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Wednesday that Beijing is willing to strengthen cooperation with Iran and “safeguard” its legitimate rights and interests, while urging both Tehran and Washington to exercise restraint amid the ongoing war.
Wang made the remarks during talks in Beijing with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
“We are willing to strengthen dialogue and cooperation with Iran, and safeguard Iran’s legitimate rights and interests,” Wang said.
“We encourage Iran and the U.S. to stay rational and restrained,” he added.
China, one of Iran’s leading economic partners, has sought to promote a de-escalation in the months-long conflict in the Middle East, which has at times spread into neighboring countries.
“We do not wish to see regional tensions spilling over into Yemen and the Red Sea,” Wang said.
Recent fighting between Yemeni government forces and the Iran-backed Houthis has displaced more than 100,000 people inside Yemen, while thousands more have fled abroad, according to the United Nations.
The talks between Wang and Araghchi came about a week before Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to travel to Washington for a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump.
The Iran war is expected to be among the closely watched issues during the meeting, alongside disputes involving trade and competition over artificial intelligence.
China this week rejected U.S. media reports alleging that Chinese entities provided Tehran with satellite imagery of a military base housing U.S. troops in Jordan before and after an Iranian strike that killed three American soldiers.
Trump has warned Beijing against selling weapons to Iran.
Washington also sanctioned three China-based satellite companies in May, accusing them of enabling Iranian military operations.
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