Beijing’s strong but restrained reaction aligns with a long-standing strategy of diplomatic backing without direct military engagement
US-Israeli strikes intensify in Iran as Trump warns of more casualties
US-Israeli strikes intensify in Iran as Trump warns of more casualtiesIn a call on Monday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, China’s top diplomat Wang Yi denounced the strikes and the killing of Iran’s Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as “unacceptable”.Advertisement“The international community should send a clear and unambiguous message against the world reverting to the law of the jungle,” he said.
But apart from that, Beijing – which holds a comprehensive strategic partnership with Tehran – has stopped short of offering concrete help, just as it did when Israel launched attacks on Iran’s military and nuclear sites in June last year.
Beijing’s reaction has aligned with its long-standing playbook of offering diplomatic backing while avoiding direct military engagement, as it also did when Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro was abducted by the US in January.
