Wang Yi Communicates with Iran and France as China Steps Up Mediation Efforts

"Immediate Halt to US Military Actions Needed"
"Acts Violating International Law Must Be Opposed"

Wang Yi, Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China and Minister of Foreign Affairs. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Amid heightened tensions following military clashes between the United States, Israel, and Iran, Wang Yi, Member of the Central Political Bureau of the Chinese Communist Party and Foreign Minister, held a series of phone calls on March 2 with his counterparts from Iran, France, and Oman. This has led to assessments that China is strengthening its role as a 'mediator.'

According to China's state-run Xinhua News Agency, Minister Wang spoke with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on the same day and exchanged views on the recent situation in the Middle East. This call reportedly took place at the request of Minister Araghchi. Chinese state media, including the Global Times, evaluated that China is intensifying its diplomatic mediation efforts.

Minister Wang reiterated China's principled position regarding Iran's current situation, stating, "We support Iran's efforts to safeguard its sovereignty, security, territorial integrity, and national dignity." He went on to urge the United States and Israel to immediately halt all military actions and emphasized the need to prevent the conflict from spreading throughout the Middle East.

During the call, Minister Araghchi stated, "While Iran is negotiating with the United States, the US has taken military action," asserting that "this violates international law and crosses Iran's 'red line.'" He added, "Iran has no choice but to mobilize all its capabilities to defend itself," and expressed hope that "China, having openly taken a fair and just stance, will continue to play a positive role in preventing heightened regional tensions."

Before and after his call with the Iranian Foreign Minister, Minister Wang also spoke successively with Badr Albusaidi, Omani Foreign Minister, and Jean-Noel Barrot, French Foreign Minister. Oman is a neutral mediator that maintains diplomatic channels with both the United States and Iran, while France has relatively emphasized diplomatic solutions within Europe.

In his conversation with Minister Albusaidi, Minister Wang highly praised Oman’s mediating role in negotiations between Iran and the United States, criticizing, "The United States and Israel have deliberately provoked war against Iran, clearly violating the purposes and principles of the UN Charter." He continued, "The most urgent task is to immediately cease all military operations, prevent further escalation of the conflict, and ensure the situation does not become irreversible." He called on all parties to make joint efforts on this issue and stressed support for Oman to adhere to its original intentions and continue its peace-promoting activities.

Minister Albusaidi expressed regret that, despite Oman's mediation efforts, the United States and Israel had started a war, saying, "If this war continues, there will be more casualties and property damage, and all parties must cooperate for an immediate ceasefire." He added, "During this sensitive and complex period, we hope China will play an important role, and Oman will do its utmost to ensure the safety of Chinese nationals and institutions residing in Oman."

In his call with French Foreign Minister Barrot, Minister Wang also indirectly criticized the United States' airstrikes on Iran, stating, "The international community must oppose any acts that violate international law, and double standards cannot be tolerated." He added, "Major powers cannot arbitrarily attack other countries based on military superiority, and the world must not revert to the law of the jungle," further emphasizing that "the Iran nuclear issue must ultimately be resolved through political and diplomatic means."

Regarding France, he stressed, "We hope France will maintain an objective and fair position, remain calm and rational, and cooperate with China to ease tensions and jointly uphold the basic norms of international relations."

Minister Barrot told Minister Wang, "The United States and Israel’s military actions against Iran were not carried out with the consultation or approval of the United Nations Security Council," adding, "China maintains friendly relations with Iran and other Gulf countries, and we expect China to play a positive role in easing regional tensions in cooperation with them."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.