TEHRAN — Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has expressed strong support for President Xi Jinping’s landmark proposals on safeguarding peace in the Middle East, declaring that Tehran is fully prepared to deepen strategic coordination with Beijing to build a sustainable regional security framework.

Araghchi made the comments during a meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing on Wednesday, urging greater Chinese involvement in the Middle East’s security architecture.

“Iran welcomes and supports President Xi Jinping's four-point proposal for maintaining peace and stability in the Middle East and his four-point initiative for promoting common regional security, and is willing to strengthen cooperation with China within this framework, expecting China to play a greater role in regional peace and stability,” the top Iranian diplomat said.

Araghchi was referring to two distinct four-point initiatives put forward by President Xi in recent months against the backdrop of the US-Israeli war on Iran that initially began on February 28.

President Xi detailed a four-point vision for a new security architecture during a meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in Cairo earlier this month. Centered on common, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable security, the vision has been warmly received in Tehran.

The initiative echoes the four-point peace proposal for the Middle East that the Chinese president put forward in April during his meeting with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. It called for peaceful coexistence, respect for national sovereignty, adherence to international law, and the coordination of development and security. 

During the meeting with Araghchi, Wang, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, hailed the Iran-China strategic partnership, stressing that Beijing is willing to strengthen dialogue and cooperation with Iran to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests.

He urged dialogue between Iran and the US to bring an end to the nearly seven-month conflict. Wang further called for talks between Iran and other Persian Gulf states to constructively safeguard the common interests of the region.

The top Chinese diplomat stressed that Beijing does not want regional tensions to spill further over into Yemen and the Red Sea, in reference to recent military escalation between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Ansarullah.

Wang further said China is willing to play a constructive role in resolving international disputes.

China has always advocated advancing multilateralism and played a constructive role in promoting global peace. President Xi’s recent comments at the 18th BRICS Summit in the Indian capital further highlighted this trajectory. In his address in New Delhi on Saturday, he emphasized that “China will work with fellow BRICS members to play a due role in bringing peace and tranquility” to the Middle East and the Persian Gulf region.

China’s peace diplomacy gains momentum

Amid China’s consistent contributions to regional and global peace and stability, Araghchi’s call for a greater Beijing-led role further underscores the diplomatic significance of his visit.

This is the second time that the Iranian foreign minister has paid an official visit to China since the US and Israel launched their war on Iran in late February. Araghchi last visited China in May, shortly before a trip by President Donald Trump to the country. Araghchi’s Wednesday visit comes ahead of the upcoming trip by President Xi to the US, where he will meet Trump.

China is a trusted partner not only for Iran but also for other countries in the Middle East, in addition to maintaining open communication channels with Washington.

When viewed alongside China’s principled stance during the Iran-US war, its emphasis on prioritizing dialogue over confrontation, the two four-point initiatives put forward by President Xi, and his latest call for a “due role” in resolving the conflict through BRICS, the significance of Araghchi’s trip becomes even clearer.

Former Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in a post on X on September 13 that “President Xi’s constructive initiatives offer timely openings to de-escalate tensions.”

Nearly 10 days before Zarif’s message, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, Iran’s parliament speaker and special representative for China affairs, highlighted Xi’s four-point proposal announced in Cairo. “China’s emphasis on fostering common security reflects a principle Iran has long championed,” Qalibaf noted. “True stability can only come through a new security architecture that is homegrown. Iran stands ready.”

In this context, Araghchi’s visit further highlights China’s important role as a responsible major country dedicated to upholding international fairness and justice.

By offering visionary peace initiatives and standing firmly against unilateralism and hegemony, Beijing provides a vital pillar of support for independent nations confronting external aggression. This diplomatic momentum underscores China’s constructive leadership and its contribution to advancing lasting security, development, and peace in the region.