Wang Yi says China-Iran ties at critical stage, urges coordination

China-Iran relations are at a critical state, and China is ready to deepen coordination and cooperation with Iran in regional and international affairs, said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday.

China is willing to work with Iran to view bilateral relations from a strategic perspective to boost cooperation across the board and comprehensively deepen coordination and cooperation in regional and international affairs to make greater contributions to regional and global peace and stability, he said.

Wang, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during a meeting with Iranian Acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani on the sidelines of the BRICS foreign minsiters' meeting in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia.

Originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, the BRICS group welcomed Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates as new members during the bloc's summit in August 2023. Their membership took effect on January 1, 2024.

During the talks with Bagheri, Wang welcomed Iran's first participation in the BRICS foreign ministers' meeting as a full member.

China is ready to strengthen strategic coordination with Iran to give full play to the important role of the BRICS mechanism in reforming and improving global governance, further enhance the influence and voice of the Global South, and promote the development of the international order in a more just and rational direction, he said.

For his part, Bagheri said given the current international situation, the development of Iran-China relations will not only benefit the two peoples but also contribute to peace and stability in the region and the world, to building a more equitable and reasonable international order and safeguarding the legitimate rights of developing countries.