BEIJING: China said that the war against Iran should never have started and called for an immediate reopening of maritime routes and a lasting ceasefire in the region.
According to media reports, China’s Foreign Ministry said resolving the Iran conflict would benefit not only the United States and Iran but also countries across the region.
The ministry urged all sides to reopen dialogue and communication channels as soon as possible and called for a comprehensive and durable ceasefire.
Chinese officials said President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping had reached broad understanding on several issues during ongoing talks in Beijing.
The ministry said there was no justification for continuing the war and reiterated that China had consistently supported dialogue and diplomatic engagement.
Beijing also stated that there could be no military solution to the Iran issue and urged the reopening of key maritime routes at the earliest opportunity.
Chinese officials called on the international community’s demand for reopening sea lanes to be addressed immediately.
Meanwhile, talks between Trump and Xi were continuing at Zhongnanhai, the highly secure leadership compound in Beijing.
According to White House media reports, authorities allowed only a limited number of journalists inside the complex. Roads were cleared ahead of the presidential motorcade, while bystanders recorded the scenes on mobile phones.
Separately, Trump said Xi had offered to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz and pledged that China would not send military equipment to Iran during its conflict with the United States and Israel.
