‘If Middle East Is Unstable, World Will Not Be at Peace’: How China Views the Israel-Iran War
April 15, 2026 2026-04-15 13:53‘If Middle East Is Unstable, World Will Not Be at Peace’: How China Views the Israel-Iran War
‘If Middle East Is Unstable, World Will Not Be at Peace’: How China Views the Israel-Iran War
Tehran’s friends don’t like the war decimating Iran, but they’re not ready to join the fight against Israel—and now the U.S., after President Donald Trump bombed Iranian nuclear facilities.
Instead, Russia and China have urged deescalation, emphasizing the dangerous consequences the escalating conflict could have on the whole world.
“If the Middle East is unstable, the world will not be at peace,” Chinese President Xi Jinping said June 19. “If the conflict escalates further, not only will the conflicting parties suffer greater losses, but regional countries will also suffer greatly.”
Xi’s comments came in a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, in which both leaders called for a ceasefire, according to a readout by China’s foreign ministry. Earlier last week, Russia warned that Israel’s attacks have brought the world “millimeters” from nuclear calamity, and Putin urged Trump against attacking Iran.
Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters that Putin and Xi “strongly condemn Israel’s actions, which violate the U.N. Charter and other norms of international law.” Ushakov added that Xi expressed support for Putin’s suggestion to mediate the conflict, an offer Trump said he has rejected.
China, like Russia, has also positioned itself as a potential peacebroker, though experts say it’s unlikely Israel would accept Beijing as a neutral conciliator, given its past criticisms of Israel and ties with Iran.
