China backs Iran’s ‘sovereignty’, calls for peace push
Wang Yi told Iran China supports its sovereignty and urged an immediate halt to US–Israeli operations, vowing to push for peace via the UN Security Council
China supports Iran in “safeguarding sovereignty” and vows to push for peace, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in phone calls with Iranian and other counterparts, as the war expands across the Middle East.
China’s state broadcaster CCTV reported that Wang Yi, China’s foreign minister, told Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi by telephone on Monday (March 2) that Beijing “cherishes the traditional friendship between China and Iran, supports Iran in safeguarding its sovereignty, security, territorial integrity and national dignity, and supports Iran in safeguarding its legitimate rights and interests.”
China has “called on the United States and Israel to immediately cease military operations, avoid further escalation of tensions and prevent the conflict from spreading to the entire Middle East region,” according to the report.
On the same day, Wang also called Oman’s Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, accusing the United States and Israel of “violating the purposes and principles of the UN Charter” by “deliberately instigating a war against Iran.”
“China is willing to play a constructive role, including upholding justice, committing to peace, and ending the war through the platform of the United Nations Security Council,” Wang said.
In a phone call with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, Wang warned that the world risked “returning to the law of the jungle”.
“Major powers cannot arbitrarily attack other countries on the basis of their military superiority,” he said.
“Ultimately, Iran’s nuclear issue must return to the track of political and diplomatic resolution,” Wang added.
