He made the remarks upon arrival in Beijing on Wednesday to meet with top Chinese officials and discuss issues of mutual interest, particularly the ongoing indirect talks between Tehran and Washington.
Iran and the United States have so far held two rounds of talks mediated by Omani Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, with a third round scheduled to take place in Muscat, Oman.
“China and Russia are two strategic partners and close friends of ours who stood by us in times of difficulty,” Araqchi told the IRIB’s correspondent.
“It is natural that we have continuous and permanent consultations with them in various fields, especially now that there are indirect talks with the United States.”
The top Iranian diplomat also pointed out that he did the same in a visit to Russia last week.
He appreciated Beijing’s long-standing positions in support of Iran’s civilian nuclear program, saying the Islamic Republic will continue its consultations with China as a member of the United Nations Security Council and as Iran’s partner.
In a post on his X page, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said Araqchi’s visit to Beijing would include meetings with top Chinese officials.
He hailed the growing “historical-civilizational” relations between the two sides over the past half century, saying Tehran and Beijing are taking serious steps towards securing the mutual interests of the two nations.
“Continuous and close consultations between the two sides at high levels are a clear manifestation of determination from leaders of the two countries to expand relations in all areas of interest to the two nations,” he added.
