Wang Yi's Speaks to FMs of Iran, Oman & France on War in Middle East
Today’s newsletter is brief. I am only covering the key developments in terms of China’s engagement with regard to the war in the Middle East. On the front page today, there’s a long, long feature report about how Xi Jinping has led the journey of China’s modernisation. There’s nothing new that I found in this.
Anyway, there are three calls that Wang Yi was on, which are reported in the paper. First, the readout of Wang’s call with Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi says:
“Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi noted that under Oman’s mediation, Iran-U.S. negotiations made unprecedented progress, yet regrettably, the U.S. and Israel have cast aside the existing outcomes of the talks and launched a war. If the war continues, it will lead to more casualties and property losses. All parties should work together for an early ceasefire. As a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, China always abides by the purposes and principles of the U.N. Charter and is a positive force to be relied upon. Oman hopes that China will play an important role under the current sensitive and complex circumstances. Oman will do its utmost to safeguard the safety of Chinese citizens and institutions in Oman.
Wang Yi said that China appreciates Oman’s active mediation in advancing the negotiations between Iran and the U.S. and its tremendous efforts for safeguarding regional peace. Despite progress in the talks, the U.S. and Israel deliberately provoked a war against Iran, which clearly violates the purposes and principles of the U.N. Charter. China believes that the pressing task now is to immediately cease military actions to prevent further spillover of the conflict and avert an irreversible deterioration. China urges all parties to make joint efforts to this end and support Oman in staying true to its original aspiration and continuing its mediation efforts. China also stands ready to play a constructive role, including upholding fairness and justice at the U.N. Security Council and striving for peace and stopping the war. Wang Yi said that China values the legitimate appeals of Gulf states and supports them in upholding their sovereignty and national security. Spillover of the war does not serve the fundamental and long-term interests of Gulf states. China expects that Gulf states will enhance their independence, oppose external interference, develop good neighborliness, and strengthen solidarity and coordination, so as to truly hold their future firmly in their own hands.”
The readout of Wang’s call with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi says:
“Seyed Abbas Araghchi briefed Wang Yi on the latest developments of the situation of Iran, noting that the U.S. has launched war against Iran for the second time during their ongoing negotiations. Though the two sides have made positive progress in the latest round of negotiations, the U.S. action violates all international laws and treads and even crosses the red line of Iran. The Iranian side has no choice but to defend itself at all costs. China has made public its voice for fairness and justice, and Iran hopes that China will continue playing an proactive role in preventing the escalation of tensions in the region.
Wang Yi reiterated China’s principled position on the current situation in Iran. He noted that China values the traditional friendship between China and Iran and supports Iran in safeguarding its sovereignty, security, territorial integrity and national dignity and in upholding its legitimate and lawful rights and interests. Wang Yi said that China has urged the U.S. and Israel to immediately cease military actions to avoid further escalation of tensions and prevent the conflict from expanding and spreading to the entire Middle East region. China believes that under the current grave and complex situation, Iran will maintain its national and social stability, take seriously the legitimate concerns of neighboring countries, and ensure the safety of Chinese citizens and institutions in Iran. Seyed Abbas Araghchi noted that the Iranian side will do its utmost to guarantee the safety and security of Chinese personnel and institutions.”
Third, the readout of Wang’s call with French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot says:
“Jean-Noël Barrot shared the French perspective on the current situation in the Middle East, underscoring that France and China, both permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, have special responsibility for upholding international peace and security. The U.S and Israel did not seek the opinions from the U.N. Security Council regarding their military action against Iran, nor did they obtain authorization from the Council. All parties should work together to de-escalate the tensions and resolve such issues as the Iranian nuclear issue through negotiation. China has maintained good relations with both Iran and other Gulf states. France looks forward to joining hands with China to proactively ease the situation in the region.
Wang Yi reiterated China’s principled position, stressing that the international community should reject any act that violates international law and refrain from applying double standards. Major countries must not be allowed to attack others at will with their military might, nor should the world revert to the law of the jungle. The Iranian nuclear issue should eventually return to the track of political and diplomatic settlement. China hopes that France will uphold an objective and just position, remain calm and rational, and work with China to de-escalate the situation, jointly safeguarding the basic norms of international relations.”
At yesterday’s press conference in Beijing, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that 1 Chinese citizen has been killed in Tehran. Mao Ning added that:
“As of March 2, Beijing time, more than 3,000 Chinese citizens have been evacuated from Iran. Chinese embassies and consulates in countries surrounding Iran have dispatched working groups to border crossings to receive and assist Chinese citizens evacuating from Iran. Given the current serious security situation in Iran, we once again solemnly remind Chinese citizens in Iran to strengthen their personal precautions and evacuate safely as soon as possible.”
Also note this exchange:
“Global Times reporter: Recent foreign media reports indicate that Iran and China are close to reaching an agreement on the purchase of CM-302 supersonic anti-ship missiles. If delivered, these missiles will be among the most advanced weapons China has provided to Iran in recent years. Can the Chinese side confirm this?
Mao Ning: The reports are untrue. As a responsible major country, China has always fulfilled its international obligations. China opposes malicious hype and hopes that relevant parties will do more to ease tensions.”
Responding to a question about whether the US government informed the Chinese side about its decision to strike Iran, Mao also said that the “Chinese side did not receive prior notification of the US military operation.”
Finally, Mao once again termed the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei an “assassination.”
While on the subject, I also recommend the latest Chaguan by The Economist:
“Some of President Donald Trump’s boosters in America have depicted Khamenei’s death as a devastating blow not just for the Islamic Republic but for China itself. These hot takes assume that China has been humbled. It is true that the country once seemed to be styling itself as a new power broker in the Middle East. Three years ago it brought Iran and Saudi Arabia together for talks to restore official relations; some observers hailed that as proof of China’s ascendance in the region. The joint American-Israeli strikes drive home the opposite point: China’s influence and ambitions in the Middle East are more limited. Passive in Iran, China similarly stayed on the sidelines in Venezuela in January, when Mr Trump, with his taste for violence and bravado, sent American troops to snatch Nicolás Maduro, China’s friend. Of the two, Iran carries more weight. Venezuela supplied less than 4% of China’s total crude imports, Iran more than 10%. Iran has also been a useful thorn in America’s side, with its proxies targeting Americans and allies across the region. So, the argument goes, China is a big loser from the bombing of Iran. Such an argument is more wishcasting than real analysis, however. China is hardly weeping. Most obviously, no one knows how the military operation will turn out. Were America to get bogged down in Iran—a real possibility—China would surely indulge in Schadenfreude. America’s war in Iraq in the early 2000s distracted it from the competitive threat then just starting to emerge from China. Nowadays, that competition is far fiercer and the distractions would be costlier. Julian Gewirtz, a security official in the administration of Joe Biden, notes that even short of an Iraq-style quagmire, the likelihood that America must again pour attention into the Middle East is to China’s advantage. ‘We only have so many aircraft carriers, we only have so much presidential time and attention,’ Mr Gewirtz says.”