At a Beijing meeting between the top foreign policy diplomats of China and Iran, Chinese State Councillor Wang Yi said that his government aims to “deepen the strategic trust” between the two countries. His Iranian counterpart stated that Iran very much values the relationship with China and that it considers “the comprehensive strategic partnership between Iran and China as one of our most important relations.”

The timing of the meeting is somewhat awkward, as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia, one of Iran’s major adversaries, is bound to visit the Chinese capital in a few days. China has important interests in both countries and therefore carefully avoids taking sides.

Read more: Ahead of MBS visit, China seeks ‘deeper trust’ with Iran