Mao Ning
On Friday, China urged the United States to play a constructive role in the Middle East, following a phone call with its top diplomat Wang Yi spoke with his US counterpart Antony Blinken.
According to the State Department, Blinken used the call to request that Beijing utilize its influence to persuade Iran not to strike Israel.
Concerns about Tehran’s retribution have intensified since an Israeli strike on an Iranian diplomatic building in Damascus on April 1.
On Friday China acknowledged the contact, saying Wang expressed China’s strong condemnation of the attack while underlining the inviolable right to security of diplomatic facilities and the need to respect the sovereignty of Iran and Syria.
China’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said, “China will continue to play a constructive role in the resolution of the Middle East issue… and contribute to cooling down the situation”.
“The United States side in particular should play a constructive role”, Mao Ning added.
Iran’s clerical leadership has vowed retaliation following the attack that killed seven members of the Islamic Republic’s elite Revolutionary Guards, including two generals.
The US has made numerous public appeals to China to do more to address the problem, including putting pressure on Iran, which supports Hamas.
Beijing, in turn, has criticized the United States for being biased towards Israel.
“This round of escalation is the latest manifestation of the spillover from the Gaza conflict, and it is imperative that the Gaza conflict be put to rest as soon as possible”, Mao continued, adding that Beijing was urging for an immediate ceasefire.
Despite his criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of the Gaza war, President Joe Biden stated Wednesday that the United States is committed to Israel’s security.
Also read: Israeli Airstrike Kills Hamas Financier
