'Future belongs to Global South': Iran appoints Ghalibaf to oversee ties with China - What it could mean for the US

Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has been appointed to oversee relations with China, Iranian media reported on Sunday (May 17). Ghalibaf was the chief negotiator in talks with the United States that resulted in a ceasefire after Israel and the US launched airstrikes on Iran in Feb. It was not immediately clear who appointed Ghalibaf to the role, but Tasnim said he would “coordinate various sectors of relations between Iran and China.” After his appointment, Ghalibaf backed Chinese President Xi Jinping's vision of historic global transformations, stating that "the future belongs to the Global South." Incidentally, the development comes right after US President Donald Trump wrapped up his China visit. There are also reports that suggested that China might have played a back channel role in convincing Iran to come to the negotiation table with the US amid raging war.

"Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has recently been appointed as a special representative of the Islamic republic of Iran for China affairs," Tasnim news agency reported, citing "informed sources". Ghalibaf said that the world was witnessing an accelerated global transformation, declaring that the international arena is “at the cusp of a new order.” He said that Iran's ongoing resistance has accelerated this geopolitical shift, In a post on X, he emphasised that Iran's recent "70-day resistance" against US and Israeli military and economic pressures has acted as a primary catalyst, shortening the timeline for this global paradigm shift. "The world stands at the cusp of a new order. As President Xi said 'The transformation unseen in a century is accelerating across the globe,' and I emphasise that the Iranian nation's 70-day resistance has accelerated this transformation. The future belongs to the Global South," Ghalibaf wrote on X.

Iran-China relationship

Iran depends heavily on China as its biggest trading partner and primary buyer of Iranian oil, with Beijing purchasing the vast majority of Tehran’s crude exports despite Western sanctions. China has also provided Iran with a crucial economic lifeline through financial networks, intermediary companies, and shipping arrangements that help Tehran bypass sanctions. In 2021, the two countries signed a 25-year Comprehensive Strategic Partnership agreement promising major Chinese investments in Iran’s energy, infrastructure, and technology sectors, though much of the anticipated funding has yet to materialise. While both countries share opposition to US influence and cooperate through joint naval drills and technology ties, Beijing continues to balance its regional interests by maintaining strong relations with Gulf Arab states and avoiding deeper entanglement that could trigger Western sanctions.

US views on Ghalibaf

From Washington’s perspective, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf represents a complex mix of pragmatism and hardline ideology within Iran’s political establishment. US officials view him as a deeply entrenched regime insider with significant influence across Iran’s security and political networks, making him a potentially important interlocutor in backchannel diplomacy. While some American policymakers consider Ghalibaf capable of tactical compromise and serious negotiations, they remain wary of his long-standing alignment with the Islamic Republic’s core ideological positions, particularly on nuclear policy and regional security issues. US assessments also suggest that his anti-American rhetoric and public denials of negotiations are often calibrated for domestic political positioning and pressure tactics rather than outright rejection of engagement. Reports by international media outlets have further indicated that Ghalibaf may have been the “reasonable” Iranian figure indirectly referenced by Trump during discussions about indirect diplomacy, though recent setbacks in negotiations have complicated that perception.