Geopolitical tensions have escalated in the Middle East regarding the US and Iran, with Beijing gently coming in between to help keep things calm.
Weeks ago, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi reportedly took a call from Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. This was after the news that Iran’s top commander, Gen. Qasem Soleimani, was killed in a U.S. airstrike in Baghdad.
According to Yi, China firmly opposes the use of force in international relations. Military means and pressure prove futile, too. They believe seeking resolutions through dialogue is more effective than abusing force, urging the U.S. to do this instead.
Furthermore, China remains an objective position in the tensions between the U.S. and the Middle East. It plays a constructive role in the interest of peace and security in the Gulf region. As per China’s Foreign Ministry website, the call between Zarif and Yi came days after they met on Dec. 31.
Because of what had happened, Iranian leaders have vowed to retaliate against the U.S. On the call between China and the Iranian Prime Minister, Zarif reportedly hoped China to play an important role in preventing the escalation of the tensions.
Effect On China
If both the U.S. and Iran went to war, it would be take a hit on China too. The country heavily depends on the former for oil. An article from China’s state-owned tabloid Global Times added that if there was chaos in the Middle East the U.S. would be stuck in the region and distracted.
However, China leads the world volume of oil purchases from the former, and would therefore be obviously heavily affected more so than the U.S. Additionally, China has large investments in Iran and many other Middle Eastern countries for their economic interests.
The Chinese Embassy based in Washington, D.C also sent out a safety warning on Sunday following the news of the drone strike.
All in all, China is a top player in drone operation and development, able to defend itself to drone attacks with ease. They remain on an objective standpoint between the two nations, pushing for negotiations instead of war.
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