China decries ‘unjust war’ on Iran as it calls for immediate ceasefire

2026.03.21 11:20 A woman stands near the grave of her son at a cemetery in Tehran on Monday. Her son was killed during recent US-Israeli strikes on Iran. Photo: Reuters China called for a halt to the “unjust war” in Iran in a phone call between top diplomats on Friday and expressed willingness to work with France to prevent other nations from being drawn into the conflict. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Emmanuel Bonne, diplomatic adviser to the French president, that as members of the UN Security Council, the two countries should work together to firmly uphold international law and prevent the world from reverting to the “law of the jungle”. “The urgent priorities are, firstly, to curb the spread of the conflict and prevent other countries from becoming further involved,” Wang said, according to a Chinese foreign ministry statement. He called for a unified international push for an immediate ceasefire and further mediation efforts, urging the United Nations and the Security Council to fulfil their responsibility in restoring regional peace and stability. Wang has spoken about the US-Israel war on Iran with counterparts from all permanent UN Security Council members except the US, including talks with Russia and Britain. The escalating conflict “has not only hit global energy supply stability but also caused a massive humanitarian crisis”, Wang said on Friday. “Resorting to force will not solve the problem, and the unjust war should not go on,” he added. Wang’s comments – which came on the 23rd anniversary of the Iraq war – marked the first time Beijing has used the term “unjust war” to describe the Iran conflict. The term had previously been used by some academics to describe the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, which resulted in a protracted conflict and years of regional instability. “History and reality have shown us time and again that the use of force is not a solution and armed conflicts will only create new hatred,” said Chinese foreign ministry spokesman

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