Araqchi's visit, announced by state news agency Xinhua, is his first trip to China since the US-Israeli war on Iran set off the most severe global oil supply shock in history and undermined the energy security of China, the world's top crude importer.

Before the war, China bought more than 80 percent of Iran's shipped oil, data for 2025 from analytics firm Kpler shows.

During a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Araqchi said, according to the Iranian Students' News Agency, that China is a close friend of Iran and bilateral "cooperation will even become stronger under current circumstances". 

"We will do our best to protect our legitimate rights and interests in the negotiations ... We only accept a fair and comprehensive agreement," he added regarding talks between Iran and the US to end the conflict that has severely disrupted Middle Eastern energy infrastructure and global oil and gas flows. 

Earlier this week, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urged China to intensify its diplomatic efforts to persuade Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping. 

Bessent said Trump and Xi would exchange views on Iran in person during their May 14 to 15 talks in Beijing. He added the two will seek to keep the steady US-China relationship on track following a trade truce in October.

Bessent urged China to "join us in this international operation" to open the strait, but did not specify what actions Beijing should take. He added that China and Russia should stop blocking initiatives at the United Nations, including a resolution encouraging steps to protect commercial shipping in the strait.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday called on China to put pressure on Araghchi to loosen Tehran's chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of the world's oil once transited.

"I hope the Chinese tell (Araghchi) what he needs to be told, and that is that what you were doing in the straits is causing you to be globally isolated," Rubio told reporters.

Earlier this week, the US and Iran launched new attacks in the Gulf as they wrestled for control over the strait with duelling maritime blockades, threatening what was already a fragile truce. 

Trump later said the US Navy would help ships pass through the strait. But that operation was paused after Trump on Tuesday said there had been "great progress" made toward a comprehensive agreement with Iran.

There was no immediate reaction from Tehran.

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