Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, in Tianjin on 16 July ahead of this year’s Shanghai Cooperation Organization foreign-ministers meeting. According to official readouts, Wang reaffirmed Beijing’s support for Iran’s sovereignty and opposition to what he called “power politics and bullying,” while Araghchi outlined Tehran’s priorities following last month’s 12-day war with Israel and said Iran sees “great potential” in the Iran-China comprehensive strategic partnership. Wang also met separately with the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, underscoring Beijing’s bid to deepen economic and security ties across South and Central Asia before China hosts the SCO leaders’ summit in Tianjin later this year. In discussions with Pakistan, Wang reiterated support for expanding the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor; with Uzbekistan he pledged to accelerate cooperation in agriculture, industry and mining. In his session with Tajik Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Muhriddin, Wang said the two sides would press ahead with an inter-governmental economic and trade cooperation plan and increase work on connectivity, energy and counter-terrorism projects. Muhriddin promised “full support” to ensure the Tianjin summit becomes, in his words, a “historic success.” The burst of bilateral diplomacy highlights China’s effort to consolidate its influence in the region as tensions remain elevated after the Iran-Israel conflict and as Beijing seeks broader backing for its agenda within the SCO, which groups eight member states stretching from South Asia to the Caucasus.