KAZAN, Russia: Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged to increase ties with Iran during talks with his counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian in Russia, Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported Wednesday.
\nThe meeting between the two on the sidelines of a BRICS summit was their first since Pezeshkian was elected president following the death of his predecessor, Ebrahim Raisi, in a helicopter crash.
\nXi pledged that \u201cno matter how the international and regional situation changes, China will unswervingly develop friendly cooperation with Iran,\u201d Xinhua said.
\nThe promise of continued support comes as Middle East tensions soar over Israel\u2019s ongoing war with Iran-backed militants in Gaza and Lebanon, and as the world awaits an Israeli response to Tehran\u2019s latest missile attack.
\nAt a BRICS plenary session on Wednesday, Pezeshkian urged members of the grouping to \u201cuse all their collective and individual capacities to end the war in Gaza and Lebanon.\u201d
\nXi meanwhile repeated his call for a ceasefire, saying: \u201cWe need to… stop the killing and work tirelessly for a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the Palestinian issue.\u201d
\nHe told Pezeshkian in their meeting that an \u201cearly ceasefire and end of war in Gaza are the key to easing regional tensions,\u201d Xinhua said.
\nChina supports Iran \u201cin safeguarding national sovereignty, security and national dignity, steadily advancing its own economic and social development,\u201d Xi said, according to Xinhua.
\nThe pledge echoed similar comments by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi after a meeting last month with Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
\nChina is a close partner of Iran, its largest trade partner, and a top buyer of its sanctioned oil.
\nBoth countries have faced Western pressure in the form of sanctions, most recently because of their stance on Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
KAZAN, Russia: Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged to increase ties with Iran during talks with his counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian in Russia, Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported Wednesday. The meeting between the two on the sidelines of a BRICS summit was their first since Pezeshkian was elected president following the death of his predecessor, Ebrahim […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":439357,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-439345","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n