SHANGHAI – China-Iran relations have seen robust development in terms of high-level engagement, economic cooperation and strategic consultation in the last couple of years. The region and the world are seeing new dynamics, and the two are seeing new momentums in consolidating Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. 

Firstly, China-Iran mutual political trust has reached new and higher level. On October 23, 2024, China’s President Xi Jinping met with Iran’s President Pezeshkian in Kazan Russia on the sideline of the BRICS summit. President Xi said that the strategic significance of China-Iran relationship has become more prominent as transformations of the world unseen in a century are unfolding at a faster pace. No matter how the international and regional situation evolves, China will unswervingly develop friendly cooperation with Iran. 

And President Pezeshkian reciprocated that China is Iran’s most important partner for cooperation, and the comprehensive strategic partnership and cooperation in various fields between Iran and China have maintained a sound momentum of development.

The Kazan meeting had pointed out the direction for relations between the two. Both sides had been strongly committed to develop economic relations and to support for the major political and strategic agendas of the other side. 

When Iran was aggressed in June 2025, China had expressed its solidarity with Iran categorically in different ways. China’s President issued four-point proposal for the immediate resolution of the crisis; China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi held two phone calls with Iran’s Foreign Minister Araghchi within 12 days; China, together with Russia and Pakistan, proposed a draft resolution to the UN Security Council calling for an immediate ceasefire.

Mutual political trust serves to strengthen relations between countries just as Wang Yi said on July 16, 2025 while meeting with Araghchi that China is ready to work with Iran to deepen mutual trust, strengthen cooperation, expand exchanges, and promote the steady and long-term relations. 

Secondly, there is a growing national consensus on both sides to strengthen bilateral relations. China and Iran, as two great nations with ancient civilizations, have long histories of resilience in the face of adversity and crisis. This shared legacy has fostered a deep-rooted aspiration for independence within their national identities—an outlook that leaves little room for illusions about Western hegemonic power.

However, both China and Iran are countries with diversity. There used to be illusions for so-called Western liberal democracy in the two countries, which took it for granted that human rights would be protected. Some even had illusions that non-Western countries like China and Iran could be treated fairly, their legitimate rights could be regarded and national dignity could be respected. 

U.S. support for and European countries’ silence in Israel’s genocide in Palestine, among other issues, had manifested fully the hypocritical nature of the policies of the West. Sanctions and instrumentalization of tariffs, even on the opposite of Western liberalist approach, proved to be total robbery. 

Neither China nor Iran had been immune to the sanctions of the West; neither China or Iran had been respected for their sovereignty and territorial integrity. The recent 12-day war was even more telling. Despite the flagrance of the aggression, few Western countries had condemned the aggressors.

The illusions of the two, though never mainstream, for the West had been shattered all through the previous frustrations though both China and Iran, as two civilizations, will reasonably and expectedly remain inclusive in their respective foreign policies.

However, as more people return to a realistic understanding of global dynamics, both nations are becoming increasingly resolute in advancing their relationship. This renewed clarity is expected to strengthen the national consensus in each country, fostering deeper and more sustained cooperation between them.

Thirdly, relations between the two have been more institutionalized. SCO and BRICS are two institutions featuring equal and orderly multilateralism and the rising of global south. Iran’s membership in the two institutions had greatly enhanced the legitimacy of the two institutions. 

Within the two frameworks, member states could have intensive interactions, which had increased the diplomatic maneuverability of members. China and Iran, two most important actors, together with other members, can play a role in global governance by jointly making agendas of shared concerns for the institutions. The two can also address issues related to bilateral relations more efficiently as top leaders of the two great nations can have more and regular meetings. And government officials at operational level could have more chances to communicate with each other, and directives of the two establishments could be more efficiently implemented.

Last but not the least, mutual aspirations for economic cooperation are growing stronger. World economy is seeing depression as a result of the financial crisis started in 2008 and various trade barriers and tariffs. The future will see even more turbulent economic crisis as Donald Trump will continue with his unreasonable tariff wars, and geopolitical tensions will grow with the transformation of global order entering into a new deeper stage.

Despite the resilient nature of the economies, China and Iran will have to jointly overcome the difficulties and seek new opportunities for cooperation. China, though with huge market, is seeing fierce internal competition, and hence, Chinese businessmen are becoming more enthusiastic about international markets, and Iran is one of the ideal destinations as it has huge potentials. 

China's economic foundation is solid and has multiple strengths, strong resilience and great potential, and that the positive factors supporting high-quality development are continuously accumulating. Iranian businessmen would have reasons to turn to China for opportunities of investment, trade and technology advancement. Albeit sanctions, China has remained to be Iran’s major trade partner for many consecutive years.

Worthy of special mentioning is that China has grown much more mature and confident in resisting America’s political and economic pressures. China and the U.S. had conducted three rounds of negotiations on tariff issue respectively in Geneva, London and Stockholm from May to July 2025. No evidence suggested that China will make concessions facing U.S. bluffing. China’s confidence in its face-off with the U.S. will certainly be good news for China-Iran trade relations in short and long terms.

All in all, the year 2025 could be another year of milestone in bilateral relations. China and Iran will see new dynamics in their relations within the context of the transformation of global order, and will see new momentums in their bilateral relations as a result of the international, regional and internal changes.

By Dr. Jin Liangxiang, Senior Fellow, Shanghai Institutes for International Studies (SIIS)