China Calls for Deeper Engagement

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang has called for expansion of bilateral ties with Iran.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran is playing a very important role in the Middle East and has proved influential in helping protect the stability of the region,” Wang said in a meeting with visiting Iranian deputy foreign minister for Asia-Pacific affairs, Ebrahim Rahimpour on Wednesday.

Sino-Iran relations “entered a new era” after a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to Iran last year, IRNA quoted him as saying.

“No outside factors can undermine these relations,” Wang stressed.

He underscored the need for the two sides to cooperate closely in the fight against terrorism.

China has traditionally played a small role in Middle East conflicts or diplomacy, despite its reliance on the region for oil.

But Beijing has been trying to get more involved in efforts to end Syria’s six-year-old civil war, where Iran provides advisory support to embattled President Bashar al-Assad’s forces fighting militant groups and rebels demanding his ouster.