Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday spoke separately in phone talks with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, saying that China will send its special envoy on the Middle East issue to regional countries to conduct mediation efforts.
In the phone conversations with Abdullah, Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, reiterated China’s principled position on the current situation in Iran, saying that the spillover of the war is not in the interest of any party and that the people of the region would be the only ones to suffer. He said that the red line on protecting civilians in conflicts must not be crossed, non-military targets such as energy, the economy, and people’s livelihoods should not be attacked, and the safety of shipping lanes must be maintained.
China expressed appreciation for the UAE’s peace efforts and also commends the statement by the 50th Extraordinary Meeting of the GCC Ministerial Council that reaffirmed the importance of dialogue and diplomacy as the sole path to overcome the current crisis and preserve regional security, Wang said.
