China Takes a Stand in the Israel-Iran Conflict: Diplomacy Over Violence
Chinese foreign minister conducts calls with Israeli and Iranian counterparts discuss international matters.
After the heated military exchanges between Israel and Iran, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi dialed up his Israeli and Iranian counterparts on a Saturday call. According to China's Foreign Ministry, Wang stood firm in China's support for Iran—a key ally—to preserve its sovereignty, safeguard its rights, and shield its citizens in the conversation with Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghtschi.
In that same call, Wang declared Israel's attacks on Iran as a blatant violation of international norms, potentially setting a perilous precedent with catastrophic fallouts. Following the conversation with Araghtschi, Wang reached out to Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, wagging his finger at Israel's legal transgression through the vicious assault on Iran.
Starting from Friday morning, Israel went on an offensive, pounding Iranian targets, including their nuclear and military installations. In retaliation, Iran has been drone-striking and rocketing Israel since then.
China maintains a cozy economic relationship with Iran, serving as its leading trading partner and top buyer of Iranian oil.
As военTotal War over Israel and Iran heats up, China remains steadfast in promoting diplomacy as the key to resolving differences.
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China's Position and Actions:
- Rebuking the Attacks: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has branded Israel's offensive on Iran as unacceptable and illegal, highlighting the urgent need for swift measures to curb the escalating tension and return to diplomacy.
- Direct Dialogue: Wang dialed up both the Israeli and the Iranian Foreign Ministers, applying pressure for them to settle their differences through heart-to-heart talks and find common ground for peaceful coexistence.
- Constructive Mediation: China readily offers to act as a mediator in the resolution of the Iran nuclear issue, believing that diplomatic solutions have yet to be exhausted for a sustainable peace.
- Warning the Consequences: China's UN ambassador, Fu Cong, voiced disapproval of Israel's actions, forewarning that the intensifying battle could lead to dire consequences. He appealed for Israel to cease fire to avert further hostilities.
Wider Effects:
- Geopolitical Risk: The confrontation casts doubts over China's Middle East policy, with experts like Gordon Chang suggesting that, in response to Iran's predicament, China could retaliate through proxies against the U.S. or employ more coercive measures that disrupt China-U.S. relations.
- China's Regional Importance: With its immense commercial ties to Iran, including holding the lion's share of Iranian crude oil exports, China's influence in the region strengthens, offering the potential to sway the course of the conflict.
All in all, China's stance calls for diplomatic resolutions and de-escalation to prevent the crisis from compromising regional stability, while also hinting at the broader geopolitical impacts of the conflict for China's hegemony in the Middle East.
The Commission is also proposing to extend the deadline for the adoption of new rules to prevent a catastrophic fallout that could be caused by war-and-conflicts between Israel and Iran, as political tensions escalate in general-news. China, further emphasizing its stance on diplomacy being the key to resolving differences, is warning of the potential geopolitical risks and far-reaching consequences that could affect its Middle East policy and hegemony if hostilities continue.
