China urges Israel to end war in Iran as regional tensions escalate

Top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi urged his Israeli counterpart to help bring about an immediate end to the war in Iran during a call on Tuesday, reportedly held at Israel’s request. The call came three days after Israel and the United States launched a massive attack on Tehran, killing its Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, his wife and senior Iranian officials, prompting largely ineffective Iranian counter-attacks across the Middle East to date. “China opposes any military strikes launched by Israel and the US against Iran. Force cannot truly solve problems,” Wang told Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, according to a readout by Xinhua. “China calls for an immediate cessation of military operations to prevent the further escalation and loss of control of the conflict.” Separately, US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that two waves of US-Israeli attacks on Iran had killed figures he considered potential leaders in a post-war world. “Most of the people we had in mind are dead,” Trump said as he met German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the White House. “Now we have another group. They may be dead also, based on reports.” This comes amid some question over whether Israel or the US took the lead in Saturday’s attack. Trump appeared keen on Tuesday to take the credit for responding to a possible Iranian assault. “I think they were going to attack first, and I didn’t want that to happen. So, if anything, I might have forced Israel’s hand,” he said. China has historically walked a fine line in its Middle Eastern policy, maintaining close ties with Iran and Arab nations to safeguard energy and bolster Chinese exports even as it has pursued technology partnerships with Israel. But its ties with Israel frayed after the attack by Hamas on October 7, 2023, and the overwhelming Israeli response that followed, in part to frame the US as a destabilising force and burnish its credentials with the Global South. Wang’s call with Sa’ar dovetails with others held with Russian, Iranian, French and Omani foreign ministers, among others, in recent days. Beijing’s message in these calls, according to a readout by the Foreign Ministry in Beijing, has been that the US-Israeli attack was conducted in bad faith, striking Iran while negotiations were ongoing and “blatantly” attacking and killing the leader of a sovereign nation to bring about regime change. “First, immediately stop the military operations; second, return to dialogue and negotiation as soon as possible; third, jointly oppose unilateral actions,” said spokeswoman Mao Ning, citing Wang’s essential message. Sa’ar briefed Wang on Israel’s stance regarding the conflict on Tuesday, according to Xinhua, after which China’s foreign minister outlined China’s long-standing positions: that international and regional hotspots be resolved peacefully; that all parties abide by the UN Charter; and that all parties renounce the use of force in international relations. “China has been committed to promoting a political solution to the Iranian nuclear issue,” Xinhua said, channelling Wang. “Recent negotiations between Iran and the US have made significant progress, including addressing Israel’s security concerns. Regrettably, this process has been interrupted by armed conflict.” The readout did not say how long the call lasted or Israel’s response to China’s message. But ongoing events suggest that Israel has taken little heed. Early Wednesday, its military said it launched a “broad wave of strikes” on targets in Iran after the Islamic republic fired missiles at Israeli territory amid the displacement of tens of thousands of residents in southern Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley and southern Beirut following its attacks on Hezbollah militants allied to Iran. The Israeli military added on Tuesday that it had disabled hundreds of Iranian missile launchers over the past three days. “Since the start of Operation ‘Roaring Lion’, the Israeli Air Force has dismantled approximately 300 Iranian missile launchers,” the army said in a statement. “This is the result of more than 1,600 sorties and a systematic, around-the-clock effort to locate and target launchers and missile stockpiles in order to reduce fire toward the Israeli home front.” China and Iran are strategic partners. That has allowed Beijing to buy sanctioned oil often at discounted prices and gain sway in a country that has a vital geopolitical position, even as it has supported Tehran at the UN. But China, wary of international entanglements, has stopped short of providing Tehran with material or military assistance that might undercut its global interests or attract secondary US sanctions. After listening to Sa’ar’s briefing on Tuesday about Israel’s position regarding the current situation, Wang reportedly reiterated China’s long-standing perspective. Beijing has always taken a “fair and impartial stance” on Middle East issues and will continue to play a “constructive role in promoting de-escalation”, according to Xinhua. Even as China has used the Gaza conflict as a way to gain geopolitical mileage with developing nations and criticise Washington, however, it has become increasingly interested in massive infrastructure contracts that could result from the reconstruction of Gaza. While Arab nations are expected to play a role in awarding these, Israel and the administration of US President Donald Trump would also likely have a strong voice. The UN estimates that 83 per cent of all structures in the densely populated Gaza Strip, home to some 2.1 million people crammed into 140 square miles (363 sq km), have been damaged. A joint assessment by the United Nations Development Programme, European Union and World Bank estimated that full construction would cost around US$70 billion. During Tuesday’s call, Wang also demanded that Israel take “concrete measures” to ensure the safety of Chinese personnel and institutions, according to Xinhua. Sa’ar reportedly said that Israel attaches great importance to protecting the safety of Chinese personnel and institutions. Additional reporting by Xinmei Shen and Lucy Quaggin

China urges Israel to end war in Iran as regional tensions escalate

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Beijing says US-Israeli strikes were in bad faith and calls for an immediate halt, a return to talks and opposition to unilateral action

Beijing says US-Israeli strikes were in bad faith and calls for an immediate halt, a return to talks and opposition to unilateral action