• 3 min de lectura
• 3 min de lectura
On the eve of next week's summit in Washington between President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump, China urged the US and Iran to resume the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
The call was made by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during a meeting in Beijing with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
The prolonged conflict between the US and Iran "does not benefit the common interests of the parties involved or the international community," Wang told Araghchi.
"China encourages Iran and the United States to maintain rationality, act with restraint, return to the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding as soon as possible, rebuild the negotiation mechanism on the basis of the consensus reached so far, and engage in substantive consultations on issues of mutual concern," Wang said.
It should be remembered that the memorandum was signed in June after mediation by Pakistan and Qatar.
After supporting Tehran's dialogue with the Gulf States, Wang called for mutual respect for territorial sovereignty and national security, as well as "constructively safeguarding the common interests of the region."
"We urge all parties to take effective measures to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as soon as possible, maintain the security and fluidity of international maritime routes, and safeguard the stability of energy transportation and international supply chains," the Chinese foreign minister stated.
Since the US and Israel launched their offensive against Iran in February, Tehran has kept the passage through Hormuz closed, while the Pentagon imposed a blockade on Iranian ports starting in April.
US-Israeli attacks targeted Iranian government buildings, military facilities, missile infrastructure, and air defenses, to which Tehran responded with missiles and drones against Israel and US bases in the region.
Since then, the conflict has spread across the region while diplomatic efforts to end hostilities continue.
China does not want "regional tensions to spread further into Yemen and the Red Sea," Wang added, in a context of cross-air strikes between the Houthi group and Saudi Arabia.
"We call on all parties to stop further complicating the situation and resolve problems through dialogue and negotiation," he emphasized.
Wang assured Araghchi that China, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, "is willing to play a constructive role in resolving international disputes."
"China and Iran are comprehensive strategic partners, and China is willing to strengthen dialogue and cooperation with Iran to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests," he stated.
Wang last received Araghchi in Beijing in May, before the summit between US President Donald Trump and Xi in the Chinese capital.
Wednesday's meeting represented their second in-person meeting in Beijing since the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28.
China remains one of the largest importers of Iranian oil within a "comprehensive strategic partnership," driven primarily by economic ties and discounted energy imports.
The bilateral trade volume exceeded 41 billion dollars last year.
