China will work with Iran to promote multilateralism in forums like Brics, Chinese President Xi Jinping told his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi on Thursday.

Xi and Raisi met on the sidelines of the Brics summit in Johannesburg, and on the same day the bloc admitted Iran as one of six new members, along with Argentina, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates.

"We are willing to strengthen cooperation with Iran on Brics and other multilateral platforms, so as to push for healthy and robust development of multilateralism," Xi was quoted by China's state media as saying.

"China is ready to consolidate friendship and deepen mutual trust with the Iranian side and will continue to support each other on issues of mutual core interests," state broadcaster CCTV quoted Xi as saying.

Xi's remarks came two days after he missed making a speech at the summit, instead having Commerce Minister Wang Wentao deliver it; no explanation was offered for the absence. Xi spent Wednesday meetings on the Brics sidelines with leaders from Global South nations.

In recent years China has increased trade with Iran, which holds the world's second-largest gas reserves, as Tehran struggled economically due to slow growth and sanctions by the West.

Raisi expressed appreciation for China's support of Iran's Brics application, saying it provided more momentum to the bilateral relationship while building cooperation in multilateral alliances.

"The Brics expansion shows that unilateralism is going downhill," Raisi was quoted by the CCTV as saying.

Iran President Ebrahim Raisi addresses the 15th Brics summit, in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Thursday. Photo: AP alt=Iran President Ebrahim Raisi addresses the 15th Brics summit, in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Thursday. Photo: AP>

"Iran is unwaveringly determined to deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership with China and is willing to make joint efforts with the Chinese side to strengthen the comprehensive strategic cooperation between the two countries and actively promote the cooperation in the Belt and Road Initiatives."

Thursday's entries more than doubled membership in Brics, and constituted the bloc's first expansion since 2010, when South Africa was admitted.

The meeting between Xi and Raisi on Thursday was the two presidents' second meeting this year. In February, Raisi was welcomed in Beijing with the highest protocol and signed 20 cooperation deals in the fields of agriculture, trade, tourism, environmental protection, health, disaster relief, culture and sports.

They also met in Uzbekistan last September during Xi's first foreign trip since the Covid-19 pandemic.

The two countries have moved closer as they each have faced confronted worsening tensions with the West.

Raisi thanked Xi for his help brokering a detente between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Beijing hosted some secret negotiations between the two Middle Eastern rivals and the two sides in March re-established a diplomatic relationship that had been severed for seven years.

In July, Iran also officially joined the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, a Chinese and Russian-led security group including India, Pakistan, and four Central Asian countries.