Beijing — The Chinese Foreign Ministry stated Friday that there is “no point” in continuing the ongoing U.S. conflict with Iran, urging an early end to the fighting through diplomacy and a ceasefire.
The comments came shortly after a two-day summit in Beijing between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The high-level meeting covered trade, Taiwan, and the crisis in the Middle East.
“There is no point in continuing this conflict which should not have happened in the first place,” a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said. The spokesperson avoided directly answering whether Trump and Xi had discussed Iran during their private talks. China added that resolving the situation quickly would benefit the United States, Iran, neighboring countries, and the rest of the world.
President Trump claimed progress with Xi on several key issues, including reopening the Strait of Hormuz. The strait is a critical waterway that normally carries about one-fifth of the world’s oil supply. Disruptions there have driven up global oil prices for the past two months.
Trump told reporters that the U.S. and China share similar views on ending the conflict. “We don’t want them [Iran] to have a nuclear weapon” and “we want the strait open,” he said.
According to a White House summary, Xi made clear that China opposes any “militarization” of the Strait of Hormuz or attempts to charge tolls for passage. Xi also expressed interest in buying more American oil to lessen China’s reliance on the troubled waterway.
Trump further stated that Xi agreed during the meeting to stop supplying military equipment to Iran. China has long denied providing weapons to Tehran. The president called this commitment “a big statement,” while noting that China still wants to continue buying Iranian oil.
China purchases roughly 90 percent of Iran’s exported oil, providing the Iranian government with tens of billions of dollars in revenue each year.
Despite the apparent alignment between Washington and Beijing on wanting the war to end, direct talks between the U.S. and Iran appear stalled. Both sides have rejected the other’s most recent proposals for a longer-term agreement.
The Chinese statement highlights growing international pressure to de-escalate the two-month conflict and return to negotiations.