BEIJING – China demanded an immediate halt to the nearly three-week-old Middle East war Friday, spotlighting threats to worldwide energy supplies, shipping lanes, and commerce as the U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran drags on without respite.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian declared force solves nothing and sows fresh enmity, especially poignant as Muslim communities close Ramadan. “The still widening war harms the common interests of all countries,” he stressed, urging all Gulf parties to stop hostilities and safeguard regional energy flows.
The plea marked the 23rd anniversary of the 2003 U.S.-led Iraq invasion, which toppled Saddam Hussein on dubious weapons claims, unleashing chaos that birthed the Islamic State.
Beijing eyes mixed fallout: a platform to position itself as a steadier superpower, yet surging energy prices imperil factories, risk inflation, and snag President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative routing goods to Gulf, African, and European markets amid weak home demand.
The clash has postponed Xi’s summit with U.S. President Donald Trump by six weeks, dimming hopes for thawing ties strained by American tariffs.