TEHRAN — As President Donald Trump heads for a high-stakes summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Iran views the meeting with a mix of anxiety and cautious optimism, shaped by its strategic reliance on Beijing.

For Tehran, China is no longer merely a major oil customer or geopolitical partner. Amid the fragile postwar standoff in the Strait of Hormuz, Beijing is increasingly considered the only global power capable of simultaneously restraining Washington, preserving regional stability and preventing Iran from slipping into deeper isolation.

But that reliance also exposes Iran's vulnerabilities. In Tehran, officials and commentators are acknowledging that Beijing's interests do not fully align with Tehran's escalation strategy in Hormuz — particularly as China seeks to avoid prolonged disruptions to global energy flows and broader regional instability.

The issue was laid bare by Iran's ambassador to China, Abdolreza Rahmani-Fazli, in an interview with IRNA news agency on Tuesday, during which he offered a carefully calibrated portrayal of Iran's expectations from Trump's visit to Beijing from May 13-15.