US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Saturday called on Iran’s ally China to use its influence to maintain peace in the Middle East after Hamas militants attacked Israel, sparking retaliation and fears of further violence. Will happen.
The top US diplomat visiting Saudi Arabia had a “fruitful” hour-long telephone call with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said.
“Our message was that he thinks it is in our common interest to prevent the conflict from spreading.” Miller told reporters on Blinken’s flight from Riyadh to Abu Dhabi.
“They thought it might be useful if China could use its influence.”
China has warm relations with Iran, whose clerical-led Palestinian Islamist group Hamas rules Gaza, which carried out deadly attacks inside Israel a week ago, and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which could open a second front against Israel. Supports both.
Wang, for his part, said the United States should “play a constructive and responsible role in bringing the issue back on track for a political resolution as soon as possible,” according to a readout published by the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
“When dealing with international hot-spot issues, major countries should adhere to impartiality and fairness, maintain peace and restraint, and take the lead in abiding by international law,” Wang said.
