Wang Yi made an important diplomatic statement at a press conference held in Beijing on September 5, 2025 that signaled China’s commitment to deepening ties between Iran and China despite international scrutiny. Reiterating their commitment, Wang highlighted areas such as energy production, infrastructure development and regional security cooperation as being areas where China-Iran ties are expanding despite Western sanctions and rising tensions. These remarks come amid global worries regarding growing Sino-Iranian ties due to Western sanctions as well as tensions in the Middle East region.
Strengthening Strategic Ties
Wang Yi stated during his address that China considers its partnership with Iran essential for its wider geopolitical strategy, noting their shared goals regarding regional stability and economic growth. Wang added that bilateral ties “are of great significance to both of our nations, and we will deepen cooperation across multiple fields,” making this keystone of its diplomatic outreach in the Middle East region.
China-Iran relations have blossomed rapidly over recent years, particularly following U.S. withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal and subsequent imposition of harsh sanctions on Iran. While Iran was increasingly isolated from Western influence, China quickly emerged as an essential economic and diplomatic partner – offering trade, investment, diplomatic support in exchange for access to Iran’s vast energy resources. On March 20,21 they signed a 25-year strategic cooperation agreement, marking another significant step in deepening relations.
China and Iran signed an agreement focusing on energy, infrastructure and technology sectors; China agreeing to invest heavily in Iranian oil and gas industries in exchange for long-term access to energy supplies. Furthermore, both countries have collaborated on several key infrastructure projects as part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), such as railway development projects that increase trade routes and strategic presence across Middle East regions.
Cooperation on Economic and Energy Fronts
Iran boasts some of the world’s largest proven oil and natural gas reserves and remains an important energy supplier to China, particularly when it comes to energy supply. Despite being subject to sanctions from both the US and EU, Iranian oil exports to China continue, providing China’s economy with energy resources that meet growing demands.
Under their 25-year agreement, China and Iran have pledged their cooperation in modernizing Iran’s oil and gas infrastructure while guaranteeing long-term access to their resources. China sees this collaboration with Iran as an opportunity to secure reliable yet cost-effective energy supplies amid market instability and increase in China’s need for secure yet affordable supplies – thus decreasing dependency on Western sources like the United States or Russia for supplies.
Counterbalance to Western Influence
Beijing’s strengthened relationship with Tehran can also be seen as an antidote to Western dominance in the region. China has long criticized U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, particularly support for Israel and military presence in countries like Iraq and Afghanistan. By increasing ties with Tehran, China positions itself as an alternative force that champions multipolarity without depending solely on Western powers for security of interests.
Wang Yi’s statement underscored China’s broader vision for international relations, where countries from the Global South–particularly those within its influence–are encouraged to build closer ties in response to what Beijing considers as the unilateral and “hegemonic” practices of the US and its allies. Beijing has consistently championed Iran’s right to pursue its own path in regional and global affairs by calling for lifting of sanctions and restart of nuclear negotiations under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
Implications for the Middle East are immense.
China’s growing involvement with Iran is upending dynamics in the Middle East, which had long been dominated by U.S. influence. Whereas America had long held alliances with countries like Saudi Arabia, Israel and UAE as allies against Iranian influence, China is challenging this order through diplomatic engagements with Tehran that threaten its status quo.
Saudi Arabia, an important U.S. ally and longstanding foe of Iran, has carefully tracked China’s growing presence in Iran. Riyadh seeks a balance in relations with both Beijing and Washington; yet, Beijing remains wary of growing diplomatic ties between Tehran and Riyadh; nevertheless its non-interventionist approach and emphasis on economic cooperation have made Beijing an appealing partner to many Middle Eastern states with fraught relationships to the West.
China has signed several major trade agreements with Middle Eastern nations, such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Beijing’s approach of positioning itself as an economic partner rather than as a military or political power is particularly appealing for Middle Eastern nations looking for economic expansion without geopolitical implications from U.S. or European intervention.
U.S. and Western Concerns
China’s deepening partnership with Iran has raised alarm in Washington and other Western capitals. The Biden administration expressed worry about China’s increasing influence in Iran, especially regarding Iran’s nuclear ambitions and role in regional conflicts such as Syria and Yemen. U.S. officials warned that China’s involvement could undermine efforts to constrain Tehran’s nuclear program and limit further instability across the Middle East region.
U.S. officials have also sharply criticized China for bypassing sanctions imposed on Iran, asserting that Beijing’s engagement with Tehran undercuts international efforts to force compliance with nuclear nonproliferation standards by Iran. China, however, defends their relationship as legitimate economic strategy as part of their multipolar world order vision.
Conclusion
China’s decision to prioritize relations with Iran reveals its larger foreign policy objectives and ambition to exert greater influence in the Middle East. As Beijing seeks to strengthen its strategic relationships in the region, Iran will likely remain one of its key diplomatic and economic initiatives. China-Iran relations may seem like a threat to U.S. influence in the region, yet this alliance also reflects China’s larger ambitions of changing global power dynamics, increasing economic cooperation and asserting itself as an influential player on international affairs. Over the next years it will be important to see how this partnership develops and its implications for Middle Eastern geopolitics as a whole.