China Contacts Iran, Israel, and Saudi Arabia to Address Middle East Crisis

King speaks with Iranian and Saudi ministers

China met with Iran, Israel, and Saudi Arabia to reduce the risk of the Middle East crisis and expand its influence in the region.

The King is the Director of the Central Foreign Affairs Office of the Communist Party of China and Minister of Foreign Affairs.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

China's state-run Xinhua News Agency reported that Wang Yi, Director of the Central Foreign Affairs Office of the Communist Party of China and Foreign Minister, criticized Israel during a phone call with Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Iran's Foreign Minister, on the 15th (local time).

During the call, Director Wang Yi criticized Israel for the attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, the capital of Syria, on the 1st, calling it a violation of international law. He also said, "We believe Iran will handle the current situation well, safeguarding its national sovereignty and dignity while avoiding chaos."

Minister Amir-Abdollahian expressed to Director Wang that "Iran is willing to exercise restraint and has no intention of escalating the situation." He also stated support for China's efforts to promote a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and restore regional peace, expressing willingness to cooperate to expand the development of Iran-China cooperation.

On the same day, Director Wang also held a phone call with Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister, discussing cooperation to prevent the spread of conflicts in the Middle East region.

Additionally, China met with Israel on the same day. Zhai Jun, China's Special Envoy for Middle East Affairs, met with Eriat Ben Aba, Israel's Ambassador to China, at Israel's request. According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Special Envoy Zhai called for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and a halt to hostile actions. He also expressed concern over the escalating tensions in the neighboring areas.

China's series of contacts came after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that China and others should work hard to prevent Iran from escalating tensions. U.S. media outlets such as CNN reported that although China has been expanding its presence in the Middle East, it is unlikely to exert significant influence in the current Middle East crisis.