China said on Monday that it maintains close contacts with Pakistan and Iran to “bridge their differences” after the two nations carried out airstrikes on each other last week. The statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs came in the midst of the visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Sun Wei Dong to Pakistan on a mediation mission.
China on Thursday offered for the final time to play a “constructive role” in easing tension between Islamabad and Tehran after Pakistan carried out “precision military strikes” against what it called “terrorist hideouts” in Iran’s province of Siestan-Balochistan, which killed nine people in the early hours of Sunday. Thursday. The attack was seen as retaliation for last Tuesday’s Iranian missile and drone attacks, which targeted two bases of the Baloch Sunni militant group Jaish al-Adl in Pakistan’s rebellious province of Balochistan.
The attacks have put China in a delicate situation, as Pakistan is an ally at all times, while Iran is getting closer to Beijing in recent years, allowing China to expand its influence in the West Asia region. China also imports a considerable amount of oil from Iran.
China maintains close communication with Iran and Pakistan, says Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin he said at a press conference here on Monday when asked by a Pakistani journalist about Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu’s phone call with Iranian Vice Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani on Sunday and the current visit of another vice foreign minister, Sun Weidong, to Pakistan.
Sun was ambassador to Pakistan and India. Wang said Iran and Pakistan are friendly neighbors and both are good friends of China.
“China is committed to upholding regional and international peace and stability, and supports Iran and Pakistan to continue bridging differences through dialogue and consultation,” Wang said.
The spokesperson said China would like to continue playing a positive and constructive role in improving relations between Iran and Pakistan based on the needs of the two countries.
