Israel-Iran conflict is latest test for China and a problematic dance partner
Israel's war with Iran has escalated sharply, plunging the volatile Middle East into deeper turmoil in an era of rising conflicts.
Alongside Russia's grinding invasion of Ukraine and
Pakistan's recent clash with India , the crises, compounded by tensions on the Korean peninsula as well as in the South China Sea and Taiwan, have placed Beijing in a precarious position.
Though not directly involved, Beijing is far from a mere bystander. Its close ties with Russia, Iran, Pakistan and North Korea position it uncomfortably near the centre of global tensions, challenging its self-proclaimed role as a neutral mediator, testing its ability to balance geopolitics with domestic priorities, and highlighting the complexities facing a rising superpower.
Play
China, which remains Iran's largest energy buyer, reacted swiftly to Israel's air strikes on Iranian nuclear and military targets on Friday.
China's UN ambassador,
Fu Cong , echoed the stance at a UN Security Council meeting requested by Iran just hours after the strikes, which killed senior Iranian military officials and civilians. Along with Russia, he framed Israel as the aggressor, urging it to 'immediately cease all military adventurism and avoid further escalating tensions', while voicing support for Iran's right to self-defence.
He did not mention Tehran's nuclear advancements and its non-compliance with International Atomic Energy Agency regulations.
During calls with Iranian and Israeli foreign ministers the next day, top diplomat Wang Yi condemned the surprise attack as a 'gross violation' of Iran's sovereignty and a breach of the United Nations Charter, warning of the 'dangerous precedent' it set for strikes on nuclear sites.
Amid the heightened tensions, China's embassy in Israel issued a safety advisory on Monday, offering evacuation guidance to up to 3,000 Chinese nationals in the country. The Chinese mission in Iran had yet to take a similar step despite Iran's involvement in the widening war.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
an hour ago
- South China Morning Post
Trump says US knows location of Iran's Khamenei but won't kill him ‘for now'
US President Donald Trump dramatically stepped up his rhetoric against Iran's supreme leader on Tuesday, saying on social media that the United States knows where Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is located but will not kill him 'for now'. In another post, Trump also appeared to demand Iran's 'UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!' as he fuelled questions about whether the United States would join Israel's attacks on Tehran's leadership and nuclear facilities. 'We know exactly where the so-called 'Supreme Leader' is hiding. He is an easy target, but is safe there – We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now,' Trump said on social media. 'But we don't want missiles shot at civilians, or American soldiers. Our patience is wearing thin. Thank you for your attention to this matter!' Trump said. Minutes later the US president followed up with another message simply saying: 'UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!' 03:29 Netanyahu suggests killing Iran's supreme leader would end conflict Netanyahu suggests killing Iran's supreme leader would end conflict Trump flew back early from the G7 summit in Canada late on Monday as the conflict between Iran and key US ally Israel escalated, and was set to meet top officials in the White House Situation Room on Tuesday.
South China Morning Post
2 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Trump demands Khamenei's ‘unconditional surrender', intensifying standoff with Iran
Introduction The Middle East finds itself on the precipice as the conflict between arch-foes Iran and Israel is on its fifth brutal day, with both sides escalating their attacks and the civilian toll mounting. As Israeli strikes continue to zero in on Iran's nuclear facilities and other targets, and Iranian missiles light up the skies over Israeli cities, a chilling new dimension has been added to the crisis: a demand from US President Donald Trump to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei for an 'unconditional surrender'.
South China Morning Post
4 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
As Israel takes out Iran's military leadership, Khamenei is cornered and prone to errors
Iran's 86-year-old Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei cuts an increasingly lonely figure. Advertisement Khamenei has seen his main military and security advisers killed by Israeli air strikes, leaving major holes in his inner circle and raising the risk of strategic errors, according to five people familiar with his decision-making process. One of those sources, who regularly attends meetings with Khamenei, described the risk of miscalculation to Iran on issues of defence and internal stability as 'extremely dangerous'. Several senior military commanders have been killed since Friday, including Khamenei's main advisers from the Revolutionary Guards, Iran's elite military force: the Guards' overall commander Hossein Salami, its aerospace chief Amir Ali Hajizadeh who headed Iran's ballistic missile programme and spymaster Mohammad Kazemi. These men were part of the supreme leader's inner circle of roughly 15 to 20 advisers comprising Guards commanders, clerics, and politicians, according to the sources who include three people who attend or have attended meetings with the leader on major issues and two close to officials who regularly attend. Advertisement The loose group meets on an ad hoc basis, when Khamenei's office reaches out to relevant advisers to gather at his compound in Tehran to discuss an important decision, all the people said. Members are characterised by unwavering loyalty to him and the ideology of the Islamic republic, they added.
