Key points
- Trump says weighing military action against Iran
- There are no winners in an escalated conflict: Guo Jiakun
- Israel-Iran conflict enters 7th consecutive day
ISLAMABAD: China said Thursday it opposed the “use of force” in response to a question about US President Donald Trump warning he was weighing US military action in the Israel-Iran conflict.
Beijing “opposes any act that… infringes upon the sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of other countries, and opposes the use or threat of use of force in international relations”, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Guo Jiakun told a regular press briefing.
China urged countries in the Middle East, “especially Israel”, to cease fighting on Thursday after fresh exchanges of fire with Iran.
“China strongly calls on all parties involved in the conflict, especially Israel, to put the interests of the region’s people first, immediately cease fire and stop fighting,” the Foreign Ministry spokesman said.
Continuously escalating
In response to a media inquiry about the current Israel-Iran situation, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Thursday that the military conflict between Israel and Iran has been ongoing for a week and is continuously escalating.
It has not only caused significant harm to the people of both countries but also severely impacted peace and stability in the region and the world, he said.
“There are no winners in an escalated conflict, which will only cause greater destruction and trigger more turmoil,” Guo said.
