China's clarification to the Iranians: Don't meddle in illegitimate affairs

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with his Chinese counterpart in Beijing amid a crisis in relations between the two countries. The Chinese hinted to Iran to act wisely and protect only legitimate interests, which was perceived as criticism of its efforts to maintain nuclear facilities. The visit comes after a cooling of relations following China's refusal to assist Iran against the US.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met today (Wednesday) with his Chinese counterpart in Beijing, amid a crisis in relations between the two countries that has developed in recent weeks. The meeting comes after a cooling of relations, stemming from a brief conversation between the Iranian president and Chinese President Xi Jinping two weeks ago, which caused an uproar. Iran tried to leverage its good ties with Beijing and hoped it would help harm the US economically, but the Chinese refusal led to deterioration. Additionally, China refused a visit by Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, conditioning the visit on demands including reopening the Strait of Hormuz, waiving transit fees, ending tensions with Saudi Arabia, and resolving the conflict with the United States. Iran denied these claims. During the meeting, the Chinese Foreign Ministry stated that China's willingness is to protect Iran's "legitimate interests" in the context of the regional conflict, which was interpreted as criticism of Iran's attempt to maintain its nuclear facilities at any cost. The Chinese minister confirmed that China and Iran are bound by a comprehensive strategic partnership, but the thick hint to Araghchi was "act wisely."