China’s president stated that ‘climbing tensions severely affects global security’ and argued that the UN Security Council should take a more relevant role in the process
The president of Xi Jinping, talked by phone with the president of Vladimir Putin, this Thursday (19), about the climb of tensions between Israel and Iran, which Beijing described as “very serious”. According to a statement from the China Foreign Ministry of Foreign Affairs, XI filed four proposals from China in the face of the current scenario. The first, according to the statement, proposes an immediate ceasefire as the priority. He stressed that “the use of force is not the right way to resolve international disputes” and that Israel, in particular, must cease hostilities as soon as possible to avoid continuous climbing.
The second proposal is the protection of civilians. Xi stated that “the red line to protect civilians in military conflicts should never be overcome” and that “the indiscriminate use of force is unacceptable.” China also argued that the parties respect international law and facilitate the evacuation of foreign citizens. Thirdly, Xi pointed out that starting dialogue and negotiations is the “fundamental way”, and reiterated the need to maintain the course of a political solution to the Iranian nuclear program. Finally, the Chinese president stated that the international effort to promote peace is “indispensable.” According to him, “the sudden climbing of tensions severely affects global security” and the UN Security Council should take a more relevant role in this process.
Putin, in turn, stated that Israel’s attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities is “extremely dangerous” and that the development of conflict “does not meet the interests of either party.” The Russian leader also stated that Russia is willing to maintain close communication with China to “contribute positively to the cooling of tension.”
*With information from Estadão Content
in St. Petersburg
