By Rehan Khan<\/p>\n
BEIJING, Tuesday, June 17, 2025 : China has voiced deep concern over the escalating military conflict between Israel and Iran, calling for immediate de-escalation and renewed diplomatic efforts, while activating emergency measures to protect and evacuate its nationals in both countries.<\/p>\n
During a regular press briefing in Beijing on Tuesday, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jiakun emphasized that safeguarding Chinese citizens abroad remains a \u201ctop priority\u201d for the government. He confirmed that China\u2019s embassies and consulates in Iran and Israel had activated consular emergency response mechanisms soon after the conflict erupted.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are working closely with local Chinese communities and institutions, issuing safety advisories, coordinating emergency shelter, and actively facilitating evacuations,\u201d Guo said. \u201cSome Chinese nationals have already been safely relocated to neighboring countries.\u201d<\/p>\n
He urged all Chinese citizens currently in Israel and Iran to remain in contact with Chinese missions or call the consular emergency hotline 12308.<\/p>\n
China criticizes U.S. position, calls for restraint<\/strong><\/p>\n Responding to U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent Truth Social post urging immediate evacuation of Tehran and demanding Iran sign a nuclear deal, Guo warned against unilateral pressure and inflammatory rhetoric.<\/p>\n \u201cFanning the flames, issuing threats, and exerting pressure only serve to aggravate tensions and expand the conflict,\u201d Guo said. \u201cWe urge all relevant parties \u2014 especially those with considerable influence over Israel \u2014 to take responsibility and act immediately to prevent further escalation.\u201d<\/p>\n Concerns over targeted media strikes, energy infrastructure<\/strong><\/p>\n Addressing recent Israeli airstrikes on Iranian state media facilities \u2014 an act condemned by the Committee to Protect Journalists as a war crime \u2014 Guo reiterated China’s serious concern.<\/p>\n \u201cThe conflict is intensifying dangerously. A ceasefire is urgently needed,\u201d he said. \u201cOnly through dialogue and consultation can sustainable peace be achieved. China will maintain close communication with all parties and continue to play a constructive role in de-escalation efforts.\u201d<\/p>\n On a related note, China expressed alarm over Israeli attacks on Iranian energy infrastructure, which have raised concerns about global energy supply disruptions. While not directly addressing potential impacts on China\u2019s energy imports, Guo called for \u201curgent measures\u201d to stabilize the region and prevent any further deterioration of the situation.<\/p>\n Regional, multilateral diplomacy encouraged<\/strong><\/p>\n Guo welcomed the recent joint statement by the foreign ministers of 21 Arab and Islamic countries, including Saudi Arabia, T\u00fcrkiye, Egypt, Pakistan, and the UAE. The statement called for respect for national sovereignty and peaceful resolution of disputes.<\/p>\n \u201cThis reflects the international community\u2019s broad consensus,\u201d Guo said. \u201cChina commends the efforts of these nations and stands ready to cooperate in promoting peace and preventing further chaos in the region.\u201d<\/p>\n When asked whether China, as a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and BRICS \u2014 both of which include Iran \u2014 would spearhead multilateral efforts to mediate the conflict, Guo confirmed that Beijing was already engaging in diplomatic communication with Tehran, Tel Aviv, and other international stakeholders.<\/p>\n \u201cThe use of force cannot lead to lasting peace,\u201d he stressed. \u201cChina will continue to promote dialogue, mutual respect, and a framework of collective security to address the concerns of all parties involved.\u201d<\/p>\n Citizens in conflict zones urged to remain in contact<\/strong><\/p>\n Amid heightened violence, the Chinese Embassy in Tel Aviv has advised its nationals to leave Israel. Guo reiterated that China is taking coordinated steps to protect its citizens in both Israel and Iran.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are doing everything possible to ensure their safety and support organized evacuations,\u201d he said. \u201cChinese nationals in both countries should remain in close contact with embassies and consulates or reach out via the emergency hotline.\u201d<\/p>\n As the conflict continues to evolve, Beijing\u2019s measured but firm tone signals its intention to remain diplomatically active, protect its interests in the region, and support multilateral avenues for peace.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Rehan Khan BEIJING, Tuesday, June 17, 2025 : China has voiced deep concern over the escalating military conflict between Israel and Iran, calling for immediate de-escalation and renewed diplomatic efforts, while activating emergency measures to protect and evacuate its nationals in both countries. During a regular press briefing in Beijing on Tuesday, Foreign Ministry […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5602,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[58],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5601","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-world"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5601","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5601"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5601\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5602"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5601"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5601"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5601"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}