BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday said the sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity of countries in the West Asia and Gulf region should be fully respected.
Xi, who met the visiting Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, said the safety of personnel, facilities, and institutions of all countries should be effectively safeguarded.
He also advocated building a common, comprehensive, cooperative, sustainable security architecture for West Asia and the Gulf region.
On adherence to the principle of international rule of law, Xi said the authority of international rule of law should be upheld to prevent the world from falling back into the law of the jungle.
He said development and security should be coordinated. All parties should work together to create a favourable environment for the development of countries in West Asia and the Gulf region.
This is the first time Xi has commented on the current conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran, which also affected several Gulf countries, including the UAE.
The UAE crown prince is also the first West Asian leader to visit China after the conflict broke out between the US, Israel, and Iran.
China, which has close strategic ties with Iran, has been critical of US attacks on Iran and has been calling for a cessation of hostilities.
On Monday, China called for unimpeded passage through the Strait of Hormuz after the US President Donald Trump announced plans to blockade the trade route.
The Strait of Hormuz is an important international trade route for goods and energy. Keeping the area safe and stable and ensuring unimpeded passage serves the common interest of the international community, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told a media briefing here on Monday.
“The root cause of the disruption at the Strait of Hormuz is the military conflict. To solve the issue, the conflict must stop as soon as possible. All parties need to remain calm and exercise restraint. China will continue playing a constructive role”, he said.