Chinese President Xi Jinping called on Monday for the sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity of countries in the Middle East and Gulf region to be respected, as Beijing set out its position on the conflict amid the US blockade of Iranian ports and the collapse of peace talks in Islamabad.
Chinese state media reported Xi’s remarks, in which he said that the sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity of Gulf countries should be sincerely respected.
Xi’s statement comes as the region faces a new round of escalation following the failure of US-Iran negotiations in Pakistan over the weekend. The US military declared a blockade on all Iranian ports on Monday, effective from 1400 GMT, covering all vessels entering or departing Iranian ports on both sides of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran responded by threatening that no port in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman would be safe.
China has consistently called for a diplomatic resolution to the conflict since the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28. Beijing and Moscow vetoed a UN Security Council resolution on April 7 that sought to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun on Monday urged the US and Iran to abide by the ceasefire and avoid reigniting the war. Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov is due in Beijing on Tuesday for talks with Wang Yi on the escalation of the conflict and the US blockade.
Xi’s remarks signal that China intends to hold its position as a voice for de-escalation while maintaining its ties with Tehran and its partnership with Russia throughout the conflict.
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