China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a warning to closely monitor the Middle East situation, noting the risk of entering a "vicious cycle" after U.S. President Donald Trump gave Iran a 48-hour ultimatum to end its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, warning of severe attacks on its energy infrastructure otherwise.
Tensions have escalated after U.S. President Donald Trump issued an ultimatum last Saturday, demanding Tehran end its partial blockade of the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours. The strait is a vital trade artery, transporting more than one-fifth of the world's crude oil. Trump threatened to launch military operations to "wipe out" Iran's power plants and critical energy infrastructure if Iran did not comply.
Mr. Lin Jian, spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated today (23 Mar) that China is deeply concerned about the situation, emphasizing that the conflict not only threatens global energy security but also directly affects oil shipments to China.
Mr. Lin added, "The use of military force will only lead to a 'vicious cycle.' If the war expands and the situation deteriorates further, the entire region could fall into a state that is difficult to control."
Although China is an important ally of Iran, which has been targeted by the U.S. and Israel since last month, China has clearly stated its disagreement with Iran's retaliatory attacks on Gulf Arab countries hosting U.S. military bases and has called for an immediate ceasefire.
Earlier, President Trump, who was scheduled to visit Beijing this month but postponed the trip to handle the war crisis, urged China and other countries to cooperate in reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Chinese authorities have not officially responded to this request but have dispatched special envoy Cai Jun to the region to expedite talks aimed at de-escalating tensions.
Meanwhile, Wang Yi, China's Foreign Minister, reiterated the longstanding position that this war "should never have happened" and called on all parties to cease hostilities to prevent the tragedy from spreading further.
/sourceChina Daily/Reuters