BEIJING- The official one-day visit of the Iranian foreign minister to China has underscored the strong and amicable relations between the two nations, as Tehran gears up for a new round of indirect negotiations with Washington regarding its nuclear issue.

Abbas Araqchi held a meeting with China’s Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang at the Great of Hall of the People after arriving in Beijing on Wednesday morning.

In the meeting, Araqchi stressed that the Iran–China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership will remain unaffected by the talks between Iran and United States.

Ding, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, underscored the traditional friendship between Iran and China.

Ding said the two countries should expand pragmatic cooperation, strengthen coordination in international and regional affairs, and promote the steady and long-term progress of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Later on Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Araqchi at the Diaoyutai State Guest House.

Wang said China supports dialogue between Iran and all relevant parties, including the United States, to resolve the Iranian nuclear issue. He added that China also respects Iran's rights to peacefully use nuclear energy.

Speaking to the Tehran Times at the Great Hall of the People, Araqchi hailed strategic ties between Iran and China. He noted that Tehran will continue to consult China about its talks with Washington.

“We had very constructive meetings today, two meetings actually, and we had very important subjects on the table and we discussed them very carefully. Iran and China are strategic partners and we consult with each other on important issues. I briefed them on the recent indirect talks between Iran and the US and I told them we consider China as a partner, so we continue to update our Chinese colleagues on any progress in the talks,” the Iranian foreign minister said.

Describing China and Russia as Iran’s friends, he noted that Tehran will continue consultations with them, after the third round of indirect talks with Washington. The negotiations over Iran’s nuclear issue started earlier this month.

Araqchi and Steve Witkoff, US President Donald Trump’s special envoy for the Middle East (West Asia), led two rounds of talks in Oman and Italy on April 12 and 19, respectively.

They will hold the third round of indirect talks in Oman’s capital, Muscat, on Saturday.

Araqchi told the Tehran Times upon his arrival at the Beijing airport on Wednesday morning that “if the Americans continue to stay in a constructive mode and avoid any unrealistic, undoable demands, I am confident that we can get somewhere, and we can conclude a good deal at the end.”

Araqchi has also said President Masoud Pezeshkian will soon visit China and then will attend the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in September, noting that the 2025 will mark a “golden year” in relations between Iran and China.

Both Iran and China are members of the SCO and BRICS. They have also established a noteworthy 25-year partnership agreement, with the objective of strengthening their long-standing economic and political relationship.