A Chinese envoy on Friday called for international efforts to promote talks to ease Israel-Iran tensions. He also called for an immediate ceasefire and an end to the fighting.
Fu Cong, China’s permanent representative to the United Nations, warned at an emergency meeting of the Security Council that if the conflict escalates further, not only will both sides suffer greater losses, but regional countries will also be severely affected.
He strongly condemned Israel’s attacks against Iran, saying Israeli actions violate international law and the norms of international relations, jeopardize the sovereignty and security of Iran, and undermine regional peace and stability.
He urged the international community to make every effort to promote talks to ease tensions and prevent the conflict from “sliding into an unknown abyss.”
“The parties to the conflict, Israel in particular, should cease fire as soon as possible to prevent the situation from escalating and to avoid any spillover of the fighting.”
He stressed the need to protect civilians, saying the indiscriminate use of force is unacceptable. He urged the parties to the conflict to resolutely avoid harming innocent civilians, refrain from attacking civilian facilities, and facilitate the evacuation of third-country nationals.
He said that the current conflict has interrupted negotiations on the Iranian nuclear issue, and Israeli attacks on multiple Iranian nuclear facilities set a dangerous precedent and could have catastrophic consequences. He urged the relevant parties to return to the track of a political solution through dialogue and negotiation.
Fu welcomed the Geneva talks between the Iranian foreign minister and his counterparts from Britain, France and Germany, as well as the EU foreign and security policy chief. He also expressed support for the joint statement issued by the foreign ministers of 21 Arab and Islamic countries, which called for a ceasefire, the resumption of talks on the Iranian nuclear issue and the maintenance of lasting peace in the region.
Fu said that the international community, especially major countries with special influence on the parties to the conflict, should make efforts to cool down the situation, rather than doing the opposite.
The Security Council, as the primary body responsible for maintaining international peace and security, should play a greater role in this regard. China supports the council in taking necessary actions in a timely fashion, Fu said.
China stands ready to continue strengthening communication and coordination with all relevant parties, build synergies, uphold justice and play a constructive role in restoring peace in the Middle East, said the Chinese ambassador.
