Chinese President Xi Jinping called for an immediate end to hostilities in the Middle East and stressed the importance of negotiations during talks with visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The Iran war, which began on February 28 when the US and Israel launched strikes, has disrupted energy flows from the Gulf and strained global shipping routes. A fragile ceasefire has been in place since April 8.
“The cessation of the war would help reduce disruption to stability of energy supply and the international trade order,” Mr Xi told Mr Putin. “It is imperative to stop the fighting.”
In a joint statement issued later, China and Russia called on countries to stop “unilaterally” interfering with international trade and supply chains. There was an apparent reference to the Strait of Hormuz, which is currently affected by restrictions imposed by Iran and the US.
“The parties note with concern that unilateral actions by individual states, interstate associations and their allies that impede international shipping threaten the integrity of global supply chains and maritime trade in general,” the statement read.
It also appeared to criticise US military actions in Iran and Venezuela. It denounced “treacherous military strikes against other countries, the hypocritical use of negotiations as cover for preparing such strikes, the assassination of leaders of sovereign states, the destabilisation of the domestic political situation in these states and the provocation of regime change, and the brazen kidnapping of national leaders for trial”.
US forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in January in a large-scale military operation.
Mr Putin’s trip to China comes after high-profile visits by US President Donald Trump last week and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi earlier this month. The US and Iran have been at a stalemate in negotiations to end tensions over the strait and turn a fragile truce between the nations into a more durable and comprehensive settlement.
China gave Mr Putin a similar welcome to the one received by Mr Trump days earlier. A 21-gun salute rang out as a military band played the national anthems of the two countries, while dozens of children holding Russian and Chinese flags greeted the leaders.
"I think it's good," Mr Trump said on Wednesday about the meeting. "I get along with both of them but I think it's good. I don't know if the ceremony is quite as brilliant as mine. I watched. I think we topped them."
In opening remarks before talks in Beijing, Mr Putin told Mr Xi that Russian-Chinese relations were at an unprecedented high level and called them a model of partnership.
Describing Mr Xi as a “dear friend”, Mr Putin said Russia remained a reliable supplier of energy to China. “In the current tense situation on the international stage, our close co-operation is especially needed,” he added.
Energy supply pressures linked to the Iran conflict could strengthen Russia’s case for the Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline to northern China as a long-term supply route, although Beijing is likely to continue prioritising its energy import diversification strategy.
About 40 documents were expected to be signed, the Kremlin said. Mr Xi said bilateral ties have developed because both sides increased political trust and strategic co-ordination.
In the joint statement, Russia and China also said Mr Trump’s “Golden Dome” missile-defence shield plans threatened strategic stability.
“The parties believe that the US 'Golden Dome' project, which aims to build an unlimited, multilevel, multisphere, and global missile-defence system to destroy all types of missiles, including all types of 'peer adversaries' missiles, at all stages of their flight and before they are launched, poses an obvious threat to strategic stability,” it said.
“These plans completely contradict the key principle of maintaining strategic stability, which requires the interconnectedness of strategic offensive and strategic defensive weapons.”
