The one-month temporary deal will expire soon after Iran’s presidential election on June 18, when conservative hardliner candidates are expected to replace the outgoing Rowhani, adding to the uncertainty of the negotiations in the Austrian capital.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said China welcomed the extension of the agreement, and called on the US to return to the Iran nuclear agreement.

“The Chinese side has done a lot of work to promote the progress of the negotiation,” Zhao said on Tuesday, adding the US should also remove sanctions on Iran and other countries including China.

“The extension reflects Iran’s willingness to promote the resumption of the agreement.”

US general warns China and Russia could fill void in Middle East

During the Monday phone call, Xi said China would increase coordination with Iran over the deal and other regional and international affairs.

“The Chinese side supports the Iran side’s reasonable demands concerning the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and is willing to strengthen coordination with the Iran side to safeguard both sides’ interests,” Xi said, according to a Chinese foreign ministry statement.

On Sunday, Blinken reaffirmed US support for a two-state solution as the only way to provide hope to Israelis and Palestinians that they could live “with equal measures of security, of peace and dignity”.

China-Iran deal a ‘momentous’ shift as US ties sour, says ex-envoy

Iran, a regional rival of Israel, has for decades supported Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that controls Gaza, with weaponry and military training and cheered the damage done to Israel in the recent conflict.

The agreement, dubbed the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, covers a range of economic activity from oil and mining to promoting industrial activity in Iran, as well as transport and agricultural collaborations.