BEIJING (National Times) China is “deeply concerned” about escalating tensions in the Middle East after Iran launched drones and missiles in a retaliatory strike against Israel, a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Sunday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Iran’s strikes marked its first direct attack on Israeli territory, raising the threat of a wider conflict in the region where China has sought to play a role as a mediator and from where it sources a growing proportion of its energy imports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“China calls on relevant parties to remain calm and exercise restraint to avoid further escalation of tensions,” the spokesperson said in a statement in the form of a response to a question from unidentified reporters about the Iranian attacks. The statement was posted on the ministry’s website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“China calls on the international community, especially influential countries, to play a constructive role in maintaining regional peace and stability,” the spokesperson, who was also not identified, said in the statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, now in its seventh month, has ratcheted up regional tensions, spreading to fronts with Lebanon and Syria and drawing long-range fire from Yemen and Iraq at Israeli targets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Chinese foreign ministry’s spokesperson said that this round of tensions was a “spillover from the Gaza conflict,” adding that quelling it as soon as possible was “a top priority”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
China mediated between Iran and Saudi Arabia last year, and Reuters reported China had asked Iran to help rein in attacks on ships in the Red Sea by the Iran-backed Houthis, or risk harming business relations with Beijing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Earlier on Sunday, the Chinese embassy in Iran advised Chinese nationals and companies in the country to strengthen security precautions, according to state television CCTV.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
BEIJING (National Times) China is “deeply concerned” about escalating tensions in the Middle East after Iran launched drones and missiles in a retaliatory strike against Israel, a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Sunday. Iran’s strikes marked its first direct attack on Israeli territory, raising the threat of a wider conflict in the region where China […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":79909,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-79908","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-international","entry"],"yoast_head":"\n