China has said it will “contribute to cooling down” rapidly escalating tensions in the Middle East after talks with the United States.
Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, spoke to his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi this week to urge Beijing to use its influence to dissuade Iran from striking Israel.
Beijing said that during the call, Mr Wang “expressed China’s strong condemnation of the attack” while emphasising the “inviolable” right to security of diplomatic institutions and the need to respect the sovereignty of Iran and Syria.
“China will continue to play a constructive role in the resolution of the Middle East issue… and contribute to cooling down the situation,” Mao Ning, a foreign ministry spokeswoman, added.
Beijing in turn has criticised the US as biased toward Israel, calling on Washington to “play a constructive role” in the resolution of the crisis.
“This round of escalation is the latest manifestation of the spillover from the Gaza conflict, and it is imperative that the Gaza conflict be put to rest as soon as possible,” Ms Mao said, adding Beijing was calling for an immediate ceasefire.
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