Chinese Foreign Minister Calls Iran ‘Good-Neighborly and Friendly’ After Israel Barrage

Iran - Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi meets Iranian Foreign Ministe
Thomas Peter - Pool / Getty Images
Frances Martel

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held calls with the top diplomats of Iran and Saudi Arabia on Tuesday in which he expressed support for Iran’s unprecedented bombing on Israel on Saturday and the Muslim world’s opposition to Israel generally.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian, summarizing the call with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, said that Wang accepted Iran’s justification for the launching of over 300 missiles and drones at Israel and described Iran as “good-neighborly and friendly.”

“China noted Iran’s statement that its action was restrained and was an act of self-defense in response to the attack on its embassy,” Lin told reporters during his regular briefing on Wednesday. “China appreciated Iran’s emphasis on not targeting regional and neighboring countries and its reiteration of its continuing commitment to a good-neighborly and friendly policy.”

Iran launched a flurry of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles at Israel on Saturday, claiming it was a just retaliation against an airstrike on an Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria.

The Damascus strike eliminated seven officers with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a U.S.-designated terrorist organization, including commander Mohammad Reza Zahedi, who an IRGC-affiliated group claimed was involved in the planning of the harrowing October 7 massacre of civilians in Israel by Iranian proxy terror organization Hamas. Israel has not taken responsibility for the strike.

Iran’s air assault was a catastrophic failure. According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Israel intercepted all of Iran’s UAVs and cruise missiles, allowing only a small number of ballistic missiles through that caused no significant damage. An estimated 99 percent of Iran’s weapons did not land. Israel documented one casualty, an Arab Bedouin girl hit by shrapnel.

Wang Yi, the Chinese foreign minister, reportedly justified the failed assault and, rather than criticize Iran’s belligerence, “strongly” condemned the Damascus airstrike.

“Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China strongly condemns and opposes the attack on Iran’s embassy in Syria and that the attack is a serious and unacceptable violation of international law,” spokesman Lin Jian said. “China believed that Iran is fully cognizant of the situation and will avoid causing further turbulence while defending its sovereignty and dignity.”

Jin went on to reiterate Iran and Hamas’s demand for the creation of a state of “Palestine” carved out of Israel, calling its absence “the most persisting injustice in modern-day world.”

The Chinese government went into less detail about the conversation Wang held with Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud. The Saudi government published a brief readout confirming that the call occurred, stating, “they discussed developments in the Gaza Strip and its surroundings, the recent escalation in the region, the importance of joint coordination, and efforts to prevent the aggravation of the situation.”

Iran is Saudi Arabia’s most prominent geopolitical rival but tensions have waned during the administration of leftist American President Joe Biden, who promised to turn Saudi Arabia into a “pariah” state and has repeatedly antagonized the Saudi government. Capitalizing on the rift, China orchestrated the normalization of diplomatic ties between the two countries and paved the way for both to join BRICS, a diplomatic and economic coalition whose core are the countries Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. Iran is a fully member of BRICS as of January, while Saudi Arabia has reportedly not completed the logistical requirements to integrate, though it was invited.

While working to build a united public image in the past six months, reports surfaced this weekend that Saudi Arabia may have helped Israel intercept Iranian missiles flying west. The Saudi government officially denied the reports, calling only for “restraint” in the region.

An unnamed Saudi royal official reportedly expressed irritation in remarks to Israel’s public broadcaster Kan on Sunday, accusing Iran of sabotaging Saudi attempts to normalize relations with Israel.

“Iran’s behavior is irresponsible. We all know that Iran is a country that sponsors terrorism, and it should have been stopped a long time ago,” the unnamed official was quoted as saying, claiming Iran “engineered the war in Gaza to destroy the progress in relations.”

China presided over the normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran, hosting its diplomats for a formal announcement in March 2023. It has consistently sought greater influence in the Middle East through its close ties to Tehran. On Tuesday, the state-run Global Times claimed that the Middle East was actively seeking for China to “play a constructive role” in ongoing tensions and the Communist Party was willing to make a “commitment” to doing so.

Chinese regime-approved “experts” told the Global Times that China’s “impartiality in mediating conflicts in the region has earned support and trust from regional countries,” a claim undermined by China’s support of Iran bombing Israel and amplifying of Hamas stances.

The Global Times‘ “Chinese experts” claimed in the immediate aftermath of Iran’s shooting of over 300 drones and missiles at Israel that Iran’s actions were “restrained,” demanding Israel not respond.

Follow Frances Martel on Facebook and Twitter.

COMMENTS

Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.