China says dialogue, not military pressure, can solve US-Iran conflict

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday that military pressure is not a solution to the conflict between the US and Iran, Anadolu reports.

Wang made the remarks during a meeting with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Beijing, according to a Chinese Foreign Ministry statement.

The two ministers discussed the situation in the Middle East and Gulf region, which Wang said was seriously affecting regional security and continuing to disrupt energy, shipping and supply-chain stability.

Dialogue and negotiations are the only way forward, Wang said, stressing that the sovereignty and security of all countries in the region should be “fully respected.”

He added that the legitimate concerns of all parties should be properly addressed and that the basic principles of international law and norms governing international relations should be upheld.

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China is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with Qatar and other regional parties, and support countries in determining their own future and destiny, Wang said.

He added that China would work to restore regional peace and stability as soon as possible and establish a “just, and equitable” new regional security architecture.

The remarks come amid heightened tensions in the Middle East as the US and Iran continue to exchange military attacks, while negotiations between the two sides remain stalled amid disagreements over navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway for global energy and commodity supplies.

The US and Israel launched a war against Iran on Feb. 28, killing more than 3,000 people, according to Tehran, which responded with attacks targeting US assets across the region.

Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding in June, with Pakistani and Qatari mediation, providing for a halt to military operations and arrangements to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to navigation.

​​​​​​​Implementation of the agreement later stalled amid disagreements over mutual commitments and navigation through the strait, before hostilities resumed in July.

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