TEHRAN – Chinese Ambassador to Iran, Cong Peiwu, hosted a press conference at his country’s embassy in northern Tehran on Sunday, inviting journalists from major Iranian and Chinese media outlets. For nearly two hours, he discussed the recent SCO summit, which he characterized as the bloc's largest gathering to date.

The press conference comprised two main segments: Cong's own assessment of the summit and a Q&A session with reporters. His remarks mainly centered on the five initiatives proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping, initiatives largely addressing unilateralism in the current Western-led world order. Cong stated these were designed to guide the organization toward a more "dynamic" and "future-oriented" role in global affairs.

The SCO summit, held in Tianjin, China, from August 31st to September 1st, drew considerable attention in Western media. Some analysts viewed the gathering's size and the cordial interactions between India's Narendra Modi, China's Xi, and Russia's Vladimir Putin as significant indicators that countries worldwide no longer consider the United States a reliable partner. Such sentiments have largely arisen from U.S. President Donald Trump's aggressive tariff policies, which have targeted both allies and adversaries, as well as his breaches of diplomatic decorum in exchanges with world leaders. 

There were, however, some commentators on mainstream American media who downplayed the summit's significance, suggesting that its participants could achieve little beyond photo opportunities and joint statements. A “foreign policy expert” told Fox News that the SCO members were too politically diverse and often divided to unite and challenge the Western-led world order.

When asked about such remarks, Cong said equality and justice have been central to the SCO's principles for the past 24 years, and these objectives will be more closely pursued thanks to one of Xi Jinping's initiatives from the recent summit: the Global Governance initiative.

"Developments in the world are occurring at a rapid pace. President Xi's Global Governance initiative is very timely; it was welcomed during the summit, and will undoubtedly be welcomed widely on an international scale," the envoy stated.

Following the session, the Chinese Ambassador took several minutes to speak with the Tehran Times about Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian's recent visit to China. While the visit was initially intended to include the SCO gathering, it ultimately featured a meeting with President Xi and attendance at a military parade in Beijing commemorating the end of WWII.

Upon his return to Tehran after a four-day stay in China – the longest by an Iranian president to date – Pezeshkian informed reporters that his discussions with Xi had resulted in key decisions regarding bilateral cooperation, particularly in the economic and defense sectors. His Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, described the president's China visit as "historic."

Asked if Beijing shared Iran's assessment of the meetings, Cong affirmed that it did. “This trip marked President Pezeshkian's first state visit to China, which is significant in itself. Furthermore, President Pezeshkian's visit was successful. During meetings between President Pezeshkian and President Xi Jinping, important discussions were held regarding future decisions in various fields.”

The envoy added that this meeting would likely energize both countries to further implement the 25-year cooperation agreement signed in 2021. “Over the past four years, the 25-year cooperation plan has been steadily implemented and led to an expansion of collaboration across various fields. But this recent meeting will energize both sides to further enhance the implementation of all aspects of the agreement,” he stated, before reiterating a point Xi made to Pezeshkian: that China views Iran as a strategic partner.

“Despite potential regional and global developments, China remains committed to maintaining stable ties with Iran. We envision a comprehensive strategic partnership, one that benefits the people of both countries."