
China and Iran have close diplomatic, economic, trade and energy ties, and China has been active in pushing both the United States and Iran to reach agreement on Iran's nuclear programme.
Under the multilateral deal, agreed in July, sanctions imposed by the United States, European Union and United Nations will be lifted in return for Iran agreeing to long-term curbs on a nuclear programme that the West has suspected was aimed at creating a nuclear bomb.
"China and Iran find mutual benefits in many areas," Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, at the beginning of a meeting in Beijing. ?REUTERS