China’s top diplomat was holding talks with Iran’s foreign minister in Beijing on Wednesday, a meeting that comes as the Trump administration has urged China to step up pressure on Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is the first senior Iranian official to visit Beijing since the United States and Israel’s war with Iran broke out in late February. His meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, was another step in Beijing’s measured efforts to encourage an end to the war, while seeking to avoid being entangled in the conflict. China’s official news agency, Xinhua, confirmed on Wednesday that the talks were underway, but gave no other details.

Beijing is preparing to host President Donald Trump for a summit with President Xi Jinping next week, during which the leaders are likely to discuss the Iran war and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to allow commercial ships and oil tankers through.

Iran has effectively blocked the strait for two months since the war started. In addition, the U.S. Navy has imposed a blockade on ships going to or from Iran. On Tuesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters in Washington that China should press Mr. Araghchi to open the waterway during his visit.

“I hope the Chinese tell him what he needs to be told, and that is that what you are doing in the straits is causing you to be globally isolated,” Mr. Rubio said, referring to Mr. Araghchi. “It is in China’s interest that Iran stop closing the straits. It’s harming China as well.”

On Tuesday, Mr. Trump announced that he was briefly pausing the day-old U.S. operation to escort commercial ships through the strait, citing what he said was progress toward an agreement with Iran.

Iran has allowed ships carrying Iranian oil to pass, including ones bound for China. Even so, surging global energy prices have hurt China’s economy. Foreign officials have said that China played a backroom role in persuading Iran to accept the terms of the brittle cease-fire that was reached in April.

Even as China tries to keep ties with the United States steady ahead of Mr. Trump’s summit with Mr. Xi, it has pushed back against U.S. pressure over Iran. After the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on an independent Chinese refinery that buys large amounts of Iranian oil, China told its companies not to comply with the U.S. sanctions.