Chinese President Xi Jinping held a brief and low-profile meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Kyrgyzstan on October 23, 2024. This encounter, reported by Iranian state media, reflected Beijing’s cautious stance toward Tehran as Xi prepares for a high-profile summit with U.S. President Donald Trump later this month. Unlike other leaders such as India’s Narendra Modi, who publicly shared his meeting with Pezeshkian, Chinese state media omitted coverage of the Xi-Iran talks, signaling a deliberate effort to manage public optics.

The SCO summit's joint statement condemned recent military strikes on Iran while affirming the right of member states to pursue civilian nuclear development under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. However, the declaration avoided committing to direct military or economic support for Iran. Experts suggest that China’s muted public engagement with Iran underscores a desire to maintain strategic ties without openly aligning with Iran amid delicate geopolitical dynamics, especially before the upcoming Trump summit.

Beijing’s subdued approach also hints at possible frustration over Tehran’s actions during the ongoing conflict affecting the Strait of Hormuz, a key maritime chokepoint for global oil shipments. China, historically Iran’s largest oil buyer despite sanctions, has curtailed imports amid recent instability, relying instead on its vast reserves. Analysts note China’s main demand remains an end to regional conflict and the reopening of Hormuz for energy traffic, priorities that have yet to align with Iranian leadership’s moves.

The backdrop to these developments includes heightened tensions in U.S.-China relations following recent G20 finance minister talks where the U.S. pushed for addressing China’s large trade surplus and manufacturing overcapacity. Observers point out that the Iran war and the related sanctions environment will be central issues in the Trump-Xi summit. Washington’s potential expansion of sanctions targeting Chinese entities connected to Iran could trigger a more assertive reaction from Beijing, emphasizing the delicate balancing act China faces in its foreign policy ahead of these critical diplomatic encounters.