China and Iran Pledge Deeper Ties on 55th Anniversary
Chinese and Iranian officials pledged to expand diplomatic and economic cooperation during high-level meetings in Tajikistan and official exchanges marking 55 years of relations.
Chinese and Iranian officials coordinated a series of diplomatic outreach efforts on October 19, 2026, to strengthen bilateral ties. In Dushanbe, Tajikistan, Li Qiang, Premier of the People's Republic of China, met with Iranian First Vice President Mohammad-Reza Aref on the sidelines of the 25th meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Li stated that China is prepared to promote new progress in cooperation and exchanges with Iran across various fields.
Simultaneously, Zhao Leji, President of China's National People's Congress, sent a message to Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf to mark the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations. Zhao expressed a commitment to expanding bilateral relations and offered the National People's Congress as a platform to increase cooperation with the Iranian Parliament.
This diplomatic push follows a period of tension in which the Government of China criticized US-Israeli aggression against Iran. Chinese officials have rejected pressure from the United States to reduce economic exchanges or implement new sanctions designed to force political and military concessions from Tehran.
