China on Monday denounced the recent United States and Israeli military strikes on Iran, calling them a “brazen aggression.”
The most urgent task is an immediate cessation of military operations and preventing a spread and spillover of conflict,” foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a news conference, urging “a resolution through dialogue and negotiation.”
Beijing warned that the escalating situation, triggered after Iran’s retaliation against US bases in the Gulf, risked igniting wider instability among neighbouring countries.
In its response, China stressed the importance of resolving disputes through diplomacy and talks rather than force, arguing that dialogue was the only sustainable path to peace.
Beijing said that one Chinese national was killed in Tehran during the US strike that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Mao said the foreign ministry, along with the Chinese embassy in Iran, was providing necessary assistance to the individual’s family, without revealing personal details.
China has also advised its citizens in Iran to leave “as soon as possible,” listing four land routes — to Azerbaijan, Armenia, Turkey, and Iraq.
According to a report by Times of India, more than 3,000 Chinese nationals have already left Iran, while Chinese citizens in Israel were urged to move to safer areas or cross into Egypt via the Taba border.
China condemned the US-led military strikes as violations of international law.
Beijing has called for an emergency United Nations Security Council session, emphasizing that the sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity of all Gulf nations must be respected. China’s Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, spoke with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, on Sunday, urging calm as the crisis worsens.
Wang condemned the “blatant killing of a sovereign leader” and the push for regime change, calling for an immediate ceasefire and a return to diplomatic talks to prevent a broader regional conflict. China’s state-run Xinhua news agency described the strikes as “brazen aggression against a sovereign nation” and criticized them as exercises in power politics and hegemony. It further labeled Washington’s actions a “flagrant violation of the UN Charter” and a breach of core norms of international relations.
Chinese authorities also confirmed that communication with Washington remains active ahead of US President Donald Trump’s planned visit to China from March 31 to April 2.
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