Xi Jinping Distances China from Iran at Global Summits

President of China Xi Jinping demonstrated a strategic distancing from Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian during two recent high-level diplomatic gatherings. At the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek, Xi held formal meetings with leaders from Russia, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan, while granting Pezeshkian only a brief sideline meeting.

This pattern continued at the BRICS+ summit in New Delhi, where Xi had no public interaction with Pezeshkian. Instead, the Chinese leader focused his diplomatic efforts on meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and courting support from the Global South.

Despite this public cooling, China remains the primary economic partner for Iran under a 25-year cooperation agreement signed in 2021. The relationship continues to function on a transactional basis, centered on China's acquisition of cheap oil and Iran's requirement for revenue and goods. Beijing is currently avoiding close public alignment with Tehran to safeguard its wider strategic interests in the Middle East.