China reiterated its call for an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East and a return to the negotiation table as the United States-Israel war against Iran intensified on Tuesday, with a broad wave of strikes pummeling infrastructure sites in Tehran, Kharg Island and other parts of Iran ahead of a US deadline to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Addressing a news briefing in Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said China hopes that all parties can “demonstrate sincerity and quickly end this war that should not have happened in the first place”.
Mao noted that the root cause of the conflict is the launch of military attacks against Iran by the US and Israel in violation of international law. The use of force cannot bring peace, and political settlement is the right way forward, she said, adding that the “top priority is to immediately end military operations and return to dialogue and negotiations, in order to fundamentally resolve the issue and restore peace and stability in the Gulf region”.
