President Xi Jinping of China called on Tuesday for respect for the sovereignty of states as well as international law in the Middle East, and assured that his country would continue to play a “constructive” role in the quest for peace.
“Do not use the authority of international law when it suits us, and reject it when it does not. We cannot let the world return to the law of the jungle,” said Mr. Xi during a meeting with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Khaled ben Mohammed ben Zayed Al Nahyane, as reported by state media.
“Sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity of the countries in the Middle East and the Gulf region must be fully respected,” he added.
China hosted a series of foreign leaders on Tuesday, all affected in various ways by the events in the Middle East, even if these were not explicitly the main purpose of their visit: the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, and Vietnamese President To Lam.
China and Russia are partners of Iran and rivals of the United States.
Despite the secrecy surrounding its actions, a significant role has been attributed to Chinese diplomacy in the current ceasefire and the failed talks between Iran and the United States.
In front of the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Xi Jinping “emphasized China’s principled position in favor of promoting peace and resuming talks, and reaffirmed that it would continue to play a constructive role in this regard,” state media reported.
Mr. Xi made similar remarks to the Spanish Prime Minister: China and Spain must “closely cooperate to oppose the return of the world to the law of the jungle, jointly defend true multilateralism, preserve the international system centered on the United Nations, and the international order based on international law.”
AFP
