Chinese President Xi Jinping has broken his silence on the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, expressing deep concern a day after Beijing urged its nationals to leave Iran amid waves of Israeli bombardment.
His statement, delivered Tuesday on the sidelines of a summit in Kazakhstan, came just hours before President Donald Trump appeared to signal impending American military involvement—prompting criticism that such action would violate his “no new wars” campaign pledge.
Why It Matters
Iran received diplomatic support from China—a longtime strategic partner and leading export market—during the more limited exchanges of missile fire with Israel in both April and October of last year.
The latest crisis began Friday with Israel’s surprise strikes on a range of Iranian targets, including nuclear facilities, missile batteries, senior military leaders and nuclear scientists. Iran responded with retaliatory missile and drone attacks.
Newsweek has reached out to the Israeli Foreign Ministry with an emailed request for comment.
What To Know
Beijing is “deeply concerned” about the surging tensions in the Middle East created by Israel’s military strikes, China’s official Xinhua News Agency reported, citing Xi’s remarks during a meeting with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev at the China-Central Asia Summit in Astana, Kazakhstan.
“We oppose any act that infringes upon the sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity of other countries,” Xi said, adding that escalation is “not in the common interest of the international community.”
The Chinese leader reiterated his call for de-escalation and said Beijing is ready to “play a constructive role” in restoring stability to the Middle East.
These were Xi’s first public remarks on the current hostilities. On Monday, the Chinese embassy in Iran advised Chinese nationals to leave the country as soon as possible, designating four border crossings—with Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan—as priority routes.
Trump left the Group of Seven summit in Alberta a day early, meeting with advisers as the conflict continued to escalate. He appeared to suggest impending U.S. military involvement, calling for Iran’s “unconditional surrender” in both public remarks and on Truth Social.
China has sought to fill what it sees as a leadership vacuum amid waning U.S. influence, particularly in the Global South. Beijing has presented itself as a stable alternative in the Middle East, making multiple diplomatic tours since the start of Israel’s conflict with Gaza.
Israel has claimed its longtime adversary is racing toward developing a nuclear weapon, while Iran has denied it is seeking such capability.
Trump has dismissed the assessment by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who previously said Iran is not building a nuclear bomb.
“I don’t care what she said,” Trump told reporters.
What People Have Said
Tuvia Gering, a researcher at the Tel Aviv University-affiliated Institute for National Security Studies, wrote in a blog post Tuesday: “Syria was once a strategic partner of Beijing as well, that is, until it collapsed, and China didn’t lift a finger to help [former Syrian President Bashar al-]Assad.
“That is not to say that China isn’t doing or won’t do anything for Iran. Much will depend on how the situation plays out on the battlefield, as well as how the U.S. responds.”
Ksenia Svetlova, associate fellow with Chatham House’s Middle East and North Africa Programme, wrote for the think tank Tuesday: “the central question remains: can Israel achieve its strategic objectives without deeper American involvement?
“The current campaign’s success depends on either forcing Iranian capitulation through systematic degradation of its capabilities or creating conditions for a diplomatic resolution that prevents nuclear development. Neither outcome appears guaranteed through Israeli military action alone.”
What’s Next
The U.S. has been surging its combat power in the Middle East as the conflict escalates, with the USS Nimitz carrier strike group joining the USS Carl Vinson. Flight tracking data also showed more than two dozen U.S. Air Force tankers heading eastward over the Atlantic on Tuesday.
Whether Washington limits its role to support remains uncertain. Direct U.S. military involvement would mark a major escalation against an adversary far more formidable than the Saddam Hussein regime toppled in Iraq in 2003.
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