Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said during a meeting with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, in Beijing that prolonging the conflict between the United States and Iran served neither the common interests of the parties nor those of the international community.
Calling on the parties to exercise restraint, Wang urged them to reestablish the negotiation mechanism on the basis of the understandings reached so far. The Chinese minister said the parties should conduct substantive talks addressing their concerns and called on Iran and the United States to return to the Islamabad Accord.
Call for dialogue between Iran and Gulf countries
Calling for a return to the Islamabad Accord, signed in June following mediation by Pakistan and Qatar, Wang said China supported dialogue between Iran and the Gulf countries. Wang stressed that the countries of the region should respect one another's territorial integrity and national security.
The Chinese minister called for the region's common interests to be protected through constructive methods. The remarks came ahead of an expected meeting next week in Washington between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump.
Warning over tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and Red Sea
Wang said all parties needed to take effective steps to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as soon as possible. He called for safe and uninterrupted passage along international sea lanes and for the stability of global energy transport and supply chains to be protected.
Following the conflict that began with US and Israeli attacks on Iran in February, Iran effectively closed passage through the Strait of Hormuz, while the Pentagon has imposed a blockade on Iranian ports since April. The attacks targeted Iranian government buildings, military facilities, missile infrastructure and air defense systems, while Iran responded with missile and drone attacks on Israel and US bases in the region.
As diplomatic efforts continued while the conflict spread across the region, Wang said China did not want tensions to spread further to Yemen and the Red Sea. As air strikes took place between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia in Yemen, China called on all parties to avoid steps that would further complicate the situation and to resolve disputes through dialogue.
China pledges to strengthen cooperation with Iran
Wang said China, a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, was ready to play a constructive role in resolving international disputes, and described China and Iran as comprehensive strategic partners. He said Beijing was ready to strengthen dialogue and cooperation with Iran and contribute to protecting Iran's legitimate rights and interests.
Wang also hosted Araghchi in Beijing in May. The latest meeting was the ministers' second face-to-face meeting in the Chinese capital following the US and Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28.
Economic ties and discounted energy imports are among the key elements of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Iran. Trade between the two countries exceeded $41 billion last year.
