Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged during his first meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to “unwaveringly develop cooperation with Iran” amid growing fear of an all-out war in the Middle East.
“Regardless of changes in the international and regional situation, China will unwaveringly develop cooperation with Iran,” Xi told Pezeshkian on the sidelines of a Brics summit in Russia’s southwestern Kazan, according to a statement by China’s foreign ministry.
“China supports Iran in safeguarding its national sovereignty, security and dignity, steadily advancing its economic and social development, and improving and deepening its good-neighbourly relations with neighbouring countries,” he added.
Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.
Pezeshkian said Tehran was willing to promote deeper cooperation with China in crucial economic sectors, such as infrastructure and clean energy, according to China’s foreign ministry.
The Islamic Republic president also vowed to “stand firmly with China” in support of each other on core interests “to oppose global hegemony and bullying” – a clear reference to the United States.
The founding members of Brics – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – invited Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to join the bloc during the summit in Johannesburg last year. Saudi Arabia has not officially joined the group.
The Iranian president’s visit to Russia and an in-person meeting with his Chinese counterpart are his first since being sworn into office in July.
Their meeting came amid growing fears of an all-out war in the Middle East after Israel intensified its military campaign against Hamas in Gaza and the Hezbollah militia, both of which are backed by Iran.
Though the shadow wars between Iran and Israel have been ongoing for decades, the recent direct air strikes have pushed regional tensions to a new high.
On Wednesday, Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant said the planned air strikes on Iran, in retaliation for Iran’s missile attack on October 1, would make the world understand Israel’s military might.
Speaking to Xi, Pezeshkian said his country believed that “war does not benefit anyone, and therefore, it is not seeking conflict”.
However, he added, if anyone conducts an act of aggression against the Islamic Republic, “they will receive a tough and decisive response,” according to Iran’s Islamic Republic News Agency.
The Iranian president also condemned Israel’s incursion towards Gaza and Lebanon, and “the unwavering support of the United States and certain Western states” for the Jewish nation.
Xi said China was deeply concerned about the current situation in the Middle East, adding that a Gaza ceasefire should be realised “at the earliest possible date”.
Leaders of the UAE, South Africa, China, Russia, India, Egypt, Iran and Brazil are pictured at the Brics summit in Kazan on Wednesday. Photo: EPA-EFE alt=Leaders of the UAE, South Africa, China, Russia, India, Egypt, Iran and Brazil are pictured at the Brics summit in Kazan on Wednesday. Photo: EPA-EFE>
Earlier this month, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi told his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi he was deeply concerned about the risk of further escalation in the region, and said that Israel should “proceed cautiously”.
During a call with Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz, Wang stressed that an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages were top priorities to avoid “falling into a vicious circle”.
China has voiced support for Tehran amid the escalating tensions with Israel as a result of the conflict in Gaza; however, China has urged both sides to de-escalate tensions to avoid further expansion of the conflict.
Meanwhile, both China and Iran have been subject to US-led scrutiny due to national security concerns. But the expanded Brics bloc, which aims to unite developing economies, could offer both China and Iran a financial and political foundation to counter the impact of ongoing sanctions.
Tehran, like some other Global South governments, such as Moscow, is actively building its yuan-trade infrastructure, as a way to hedge the risk of a US dollar-based international trading system.
Technology is also a crucial battleground. On Monday, the US proposed new rules in a bid to protect the personal data of American citizens as well as federal government data from getting into the hands of foreign adversaries, including Iran, China, and Russia.
Washington announced that six Chinese companies would be added to the Entity List – a trade-restriction register – for supporting the development of Iran’s weapons of mass destruction, which will cut them off from receiving American technology without a special license.
Xi also expressed his concerns over the Israel-Gaza war during his meeting with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi on Wednesday, saying that the “Palestinian issue is the core of the Middle East issues” and “a Gaza ceasefire should be achieved as soon as possible”, the Chinese foreign ministry statement read.
According to the Egyptian presidency, both China and Egypt – which borders the Gaza strip – “view establishing the Palestinian state via a political process … as the optimal solution to ensure sustainable security in the region”.
The Egyptian leader paid a state visit to China in May, just days after Israel’s troops clashed with Egyptian soldiers near the Egypt-Gaza border, during which Xi also called on Cairo to actively engage in a ceasefire.
Egypt, one of the three official Middle East members of the Brics bloc, is seen as a crucial mediator on Israel-Palestinian issues by Beijing and a core cooperator in its Belt and Road Initiative in Africa.
During their meeting, Xi pledged to further cooperate with Egypt on the belt and road programme to “jointly promote the common interests of developing nations”.
Several multibillion-dollar deals from Chinese logistics, transport and energy firms have flowed into Egypt in recent years, especially the Suez Canal Economic Zone.
Between 2017 and 2022, Chinese investment in Egypt increased by 317 per cent, while US investment in Egypt fell by 31 per cent during the same period.
This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP’s Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright © 2024 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
Copyright (c) 2024. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
