Iran appears to be stepping up diplomatic efforts to build an "anti-US" axis, with China engaging key global players in quick succession. On Wednesday, Iranian Foreign MinisterAbbas Araghchimet China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing, according to Xinhua News Agency. The visit marks his first trip to China since the outbreak of the ongoing Iran war.
But it's not only Tehran that initiated a diplomatic push with China amid the global shakeup. Just last month, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was in Beijing, where discussions focused on strengthening strategic coordination and advancing what they described as the "unity of the Global South".
The outreach comes amid pressure from Washington. From the US capital, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he hoped China would use its influence to urge Iran to ease tensions, particularly over its grip on the strategically critical Strait of Hormuz.
While it engages Iran, both China and Russia have also separately encouraged Tehran to keep negotiating with Washington.
Taken together, the back-to-back engagements suggest Iran is actively consolidating ties with both Moscow and Beijing in tow, which could evolve into a broader counterweight to US influence.
Meanwhile, the geopolitical stakes are set to rise further, with Donald Trump expected to visit China on May 14-15 for talks with Chinese leadership. The meeting was earlier delayed due to US military operations in Iran.
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Earlier in Washington, Rubio had expressed hope that Beijing would reiterate to Tehran the need to release its chokehold on the strait, which is a vital waterway for global energy.
Iran's effective closure of the strait, through which major oil and gas supplies passed before the war, along with fertilizer and other petroleum products, has sent fuel prices skyrocketing and rattled the global economy. Breaking Iran's grip would deny its main source of leverage as Trump demands a major rollback of Tehran's disputed nuclear program.
Meanwhile, China is carefully maneuvering to benefit no matter how the war ends. It has avoided taking a firm public stance on the war.
Source: India Latest News, Breaking News Today, Top News Headlines | Times Now
