China's envoy pitches stronger ties to Iran on three-nation Middle East tour

China's special envoy to the Middle East, Zhai Jun, told Iran's deputy security chief that Beijing wants closer ties with Tehran. Zhai made the pitch in talks with Ali Bagheri Kani, deputy secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, during a visit to Iran, according to a Chinese foreign ministry readout published Monday.

The trip is part of a three-country swing this month that also takes Zhai to Oman and Saudi Arabia, as China pushes to cool tensions across the region.

Zhai's message in Tehran was blunt: the region needs a 'focus on political solutions with a rational and pragmatic spirit, and promote the early restoration of stability and development,' he said.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has echoed that line in separate meetings with Iranian and Saudi national security officials, arguing all parties to the Middle East conflict should chase political fixes instead of reaching for arms again.

President Xi Jinping has made a similar case further afield, saying previously that China was willing to work with African countries to deal with the spillover effects of the Middle East conflict.