China supports Iran’s right to defense and denounces violation of the UN Charter

China declared on Monday (2) that it supports Iran in its right to defense after the military attacks launched by the United States and Israel, as the offensive violates the United Nations Charter and international law.

Beijing called for an immediate end to military operations and classified the death of supreme leader Ali Khamenei last Saturday (28) as a serious violation of Iranian sovereignty.

The Chinese government also stated that the protection of civilians is a “red line” that cannot be crossed and warned that the military escalation threatens regional stability and global energy security, with impacts on the Strait of Hormuz.

In a statement this Tuesday (3), Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated that “Iran’s sovereignty, security and territorial integrity must be respected” and highlighted that the protection of civilians in armed conflicts “must not be violated”.

According to her, the indiscriminate use of force “cannot be accepted”, and the solution to the crisis involves a return to dialogue.

When dealing with the economic dimension of the crisis, Mao Ning highlighted that “the security of the Strait of Hormuz and adjacent areas is of common interest to the international community” and warned that the continuity of military operations could have impacts on the world economy.

On Monday (2), Beijing and Tehran held a telephone conversation between their foreign ministers. In dialogue with Abbas Araghchi, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi classified it as “unacceptable” for the United States and Israel to launch attacks against Iran “in the course of ongoing negotiations” and condemned the fact that they had “openly attacked and killed a leader of a sovereign country”.

Wang Yi reiterated that China “supports Iran in defending its sovereignty and security, territorial integrity and national dignity” and presented three measures that he considers priorities: ceasing military operations, resuming negotiations and avoiding unilateral actions that escalate the conflict.

At the emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, held last Saturday (28), the permanent representative of China, Fu Cong, classified the US and Israeli attacks against Iran as “brazen” and that “China opposes and condemns the use or threat of the use of force in international relations”.

For the diplomat, “the use of force is not the correct way to resolve international disputes. It only intensifies hatred and confrontation.”