China supports Iran, condemns Israel • FRANCE 24 English

world powers also working out their positions on the conflict we’re going to cross now live to Beijing talk to our correspondent Yenna Lee who joins us from there yenna what’s China’s official position first of all then i mean have we heard anything from President Xi Jinping well we have now Stuart in his first official remarks since the start of this conflict President Xi Jinping reportedly told state news agency Shininoa that China opposes acts that infringes on the territorial integrity of other countries and added that all parties should promote deescalation whilst also putting forward his willingness to play a constructive role in this a spokesperson meanwhile here at the foreign ministry in Beijing also made a thinly veiled critique to the United States saying I quote the country with special influence on Israel in particular needs to maintain a fair and objective position um state media such as the tablo the global times also blaming the US for abandoning the nuclear deal and letting this situation escalate china’s official stance is that Israel’s actions constitute a violation of Iran’s territorial integrity and although the Chinese foreign minister did tell his Israeli counterpart that Israel shouldn’t have to constantly live in anxiety about a potential war either this is by the way a much stronger tone and position um that China has taken compared to when Russia invaded Ukraine in in any case though this conflict is creating the kind of instability Chinese leaders want to avoid at all costs so Beijing might want to position itself once again as a helpful force for peace in the region you might remember that it did play a role uh in brokering the Saudi Iran deal um back uh in 2023 but that one was pretty much laid out before China just nudged it over the edge and no one really sees Beijing as a neutral force in this conflict due to its proximity to Thran this situation is clearly very different and very volatile yeah now you said their instability of great concern to the Chinese elaborate on that for us why particularly well both for economic and geopolitical reasons china is dependent on Middle Eastern oil 43% of its oil imports come from the region and some of that from Iran chinese buyers have been profiting off of a cheap Iranian uh low prices thanks to the Islamic Republic’s isolation then we have the whole strategic part to this the Iranian regime has been rather useful to Beijing together they’ve been flaunting their anti-western stance and notably China has been a prominent voice um against Westernled sanctions on countries like Iran and Russia a power vacuum in Iran or drastic regime change would certainly be a problem for Beijing with Donald Trump in the White House there’s this added level of uncertainty and it’s not because the US sides with Israel that China would automatically show unwavering support for uh Iran either its stance is much more nuanced than that in part due to Beijing’s efforts not to alienate Gulf States or its relationship with Saudi Arabia for now China is you know rather sitting back and observing the situation it might want to implicate itself a little bit more as it progresses but its main priority today is protecting its own citizens some 1,600 have already been taken out of Iran according to authorities with evacuations out of Israel towards Egypt set to start on Friday yeah thanks very much Anna Lee our correspondent talking to us live there from Beijing

China urged countries in the Middle East, “especially Israel”, to cease fighting on Thursday after fresh exchanges of fire with Iran. As FRANCE 24’s Yena Lee explains from Beijing, China supports Iran in the war, but its priority is ‘protecting its own citizen’ for now, and does not seem to seek further implication.
#China #Iran #Israel

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30 comments

  4. The world laughs at you russia and china! Your opinion is laughable being that russia is bombing ukraine and China is surrounding and threatening Taiwan!

  9. As the comment section notes, most people know who create trouble and who try to avoid it. France would be well advised to join the latter group

  13. In reading the heading, I just have a question: should you the media and your countries in the West condemn Israel too ? Who is the aggressor who invaded another sovereign country?

  14. If the west don't allowed Iran have nuclear weapons, what about Iserl nuclear weapons? So can the world and the security council of UN vote to destroy the nuclear weapons on both side?

  18. Anchor: Yena Lee, what's China’s position on the Middle Eastern conflict?

    Yena: Geopolitically? Unclear.
    But personally? I’m a strong supporter of doggy style. 😏

  19. At last. China as a defender of freedom and self determination – yes, id like to see that … I would REALLY LIKE TO SEE THAT. CMON CHINA

  21. China knows which is the correct side of history, it has a long history as a country and will not fall to the lies of west and the victim card of Israel

  22. This is a serious warning to Trump. Aside from sending armies and weapons to middle east to defend Israel, Trump must send more troops to the Pacific as well, to fight China.

  24. Xi himself is now history. His opinion is irrelevant frankly.
    Iran has been for years funding and training Houthis, Hamas, Hezbollah!

  29. " Not surprising, Narcissistic, Despotic authoritarian regimes are of the one, "Mind" ,for the want of a better word,,,

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