Beijing: China on Thursday urged ‘restraint’ to de-escalate the situation after Israeli bombardment killed hundreds in Lebanon despite a ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran. Beijing calls “on all parties to exercise restraint to help de-escalate the situation in the region,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told reporters in Beijing. “Lebanon’s sovereignty and security should not be violated, and the lives and property of civilians must be protected,” Mao stressed.
According to Anadolu Agency, Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon killed at least 254 people on Wednesday, and fresh attacks early Thursday killed at least 17 more people in southern Lebanon. Lebanon has declared a day of national mourning in the wake of the killings due to relentless attacks by Israel. The attacks continue despite a ceasefire in the US-Israeli war on Iran, but Washington claims Israeli attacks on Lebanese territory are not included in the two-week ceasefire pact mediated by Pakistan.
Tehran has said the US already violated three key clauses of Iran’s 10-point proposal, citing the Lebanon ceasefire breach, drone incursion into its airspace, and denial of its right to enrichment. Whether Lebanon should be included in the ceasefire agreement, Mao said: “China hopes all parties concerned will seize the opportunity of reaching this temporary ceasefire arrangement to resolve the dispute and extinguish the flames of war through political and diplomatic channels.”
On scheduled US-Iranian talks in the Pakistani capital Islamabad this weekend, Mao said: “We hope relevant parties will seize the opportunity for peace, bridge differences through dialogue, and restore peace in the Gulf and Middle Eastern region.” When asked about US President Donald Trump’s threats to impose 50% tariffs on nations supplying arms to Iran, Mao said: “China’s position on tariffs is very clear and there is no winner in a tariff war.”
She added that China advocates an early end to hostilities and the use of diplomacy and dialogue to restore peace in the wider Middle Eastern region. Without directly naming anyone, Mao said China has “remained in close communication with all relevant parties and has been actively promoting peace and preventing escalation of the war.” She was responding to the claims by the White House that the US and China had high-level talks on the Iran issue, according to Beijing-based daily Global Times.
Earlier, Beijing said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held 26 phone calls until April 5 since the US and Israel initiated war on Iran on Feb. 28. However, it remains unknown whether Wang had any direct interaction with his US counterpart Marco Rubio.