Iran Appoints Ghalibaf as Special Envoy for China Relations

TEHRAN — Iran has appointed Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf as its special representative for relations with China, Iranian media reported Sunday. The state-linked Tasnim News Agency, citing informed sources, confirmed the appointment, describing Ghalibaf as Iran’s newly designated “special envoy for China affairs.”
The move comes in the wake of indirect Iran-US negotiations that resulted in a ceasefire with Israel and the United States in February — talks in which Ghalibaf played a central role. Reports suggest that China served as a back-channel facilitator, quietly encouraging Tehran to engage in dialogue during the conflict.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Ghalibaf framed the appointment within a broader geopolitical shift. “Iran’s 70-day resistance against US and Israeli military and economic pressure has acted as a catalyst for fundamental change,” he wrote, echoing Chinese President Xi Jinping’s assertion that “changes unseen in a century are accelerating across the world.”
“The future belongs to the Global South,” Ghalibaf added.
The appointment signals Tehran’s intent to deepen its strategic partnership with Beijing as it navigates post-conflict diplomacy and seeks to reduce reliance on Western-oriented economic frameworks.