NEED TO KNOW

• China’s Foreign Ministry said it is “highly concerned” and called for an “immediate stop of the military actions,” saying Iran’s sovereignty, security and territorial integrity “should be respected”
• Beijing dodged a direct question two days before the strikes about whether it would join Russia to support Iran militarily, instead emphasizing diplomacy and “traditional friendship” with Tehran
• Analysts at Chatham House say China is “playing a long game” — the weaker Iran gets, the more economically and diplomatically dependent on Beijing it becomes

WASHINGTON, DC (TDR) — China issued its strongest condemnation of the U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran on Saturday, calling for an immediate ceasefire and accusing the operation of violating the United Nations Charter — but stopped well short of pledging any material support to Tehran.

“Iran’s sovereignty, security and territorial integrity should be respected. China calls for an immediate stop of the military actions, no further escalation of the tense situation, resumption of dialogue and negotiation, and efforts to uphold peace and stability in the Middle East.” — China’s Foreign Ministry

Freedom-Loving Beachwear by Red Beach Nation - Save 10% With Code RVM10

The statement, issued through a Foreign Ministry spokesperson, followed weeks of increasingly careful diplomatic positioning as the strikes appeared imminent. It also followed a telling exchange at a Foreign Ministry press conference just two days earlier.

The Question Beijing Wouldn’t Answer

On Feb. 26, a reporter from Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting asked spokesperson Mao Ning directly: “If the U.S. attacks Iran, would China join Russia to support Iran against any U.S. aggression?”

Mao Ning’s response was notable for what it did not say.

“We are closely following the developments regarding Iran. China advocates resolving issues through political and diplomatic channels and opposes the use or threat of force in international relations. The people of China and Iran enjoy traditional friendship. China supports the Iranian government and people in upholding their nation’s stability and legitimate rights and interests.” — Mao Ning, Feb. 26

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE THE DUPREE REPORT

No promise of military cooperation. No reference to China’s Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Iran signed in 2021. No mention of the security cooperation provisions in that agreement. Instead: “We hope various parties will cherish peace, exercise restraint, and resolve differences through dialogue.”

Words Over Weapons

China’s response follows an established pattern. When the U.S. and Israel launched Operation Midnight Hammer against Iran’s nuclear sites in June 2025, Beijing’s Foreign Ministry issued a nearly identical condemnation — calling the strikes a violation of international law and demanding a ceasefire. No material support followed.

At a UN Security Council emergency meeting in January, China’s UN representative Sun Lei was more blunt: “The use of force can never solve problems,” he said. “We oppose the threat or use of force in international relations, oppose imposing one’s will upon other countries, and oppose any regression of the world to the law of the jungle.”

Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi in a January 15 phone call that “China consistently advocates for adherence to the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter and international law” — while expressing hope that “all parties will cherish peace, exercise restraint, and resolve differences through dialogue.”

At the Munich Security Conference on Feb. 14, Wang Yi said only that “the situation in Iran has a direct impact on peace in the Middle East” and that “relevant parties should act with prudence and avoid creating new conflicts.”

The language across all these statements is nearly interchangeable. That consistency is itself a signal.

The Strategic Calculation

Chatham House, the British foreign affairs think tank, published an analysis Friday — hours before the strikes — arguing that China’s apparent passivity masks a calculated strategy.

“The weaker the Iranian regime gets, whether from US or Israeli military strikes or domestic unrest, the more diplomatically, economically and technologically dependent on China it will become.” — Chatham House

Beijing’s economic leverage over Iran is already substantial. China is Iran’s largest oil buyer and a major infrastructure partner through the Belt and Road Initiative. But its military footprint in the region — aside from a small base in Djibouti — is minimal. Chatham House noted that “China lacks both the capability and the appetite to project hard power across the Middle East.”

The analysis also suggested Beijing may have tacitly tolerated limited U.S.-Israeli strikes as a negotiating tactic if they could secure a diplomatic breakthrough on the nuclear issue — a resolution China also wants. Beijing has long been opposed to a nuclear-armed Iran even as it champions Iran’s sovereign rights.

The Diplomat went further in an analysis published this week, arguing that prolonged U.S.-Iran tension serves Beijing’s interests by “increasing the strategic cost of the U.S.’s posture in the Gulf, distracting it from confronting China in the Indo-Pacific, and slowly depleting its military and financial resources.”

What China Won’t Say

Russia’s response was sharper. Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council Dmitry Medvedev accused the U.S. of using nuclear talks as a cover for military operations. Russia’s Foreign Ministry called the strikes a “pre-planned and unprovoked act of armed aggression” against a sovereign UN member state.

China’s language was noticeably more restrained. Where Russia named the aggressor, China urged “all parties.” Where Russia accused the U.S. of deception, China called for “dialogue and negotiation.” Where Russia at least offered diplomatic support, China offered to “continue playing its role as a responsible major country.”

The Gulf states that host U.S. military bases — and found themselves under Iranian retaliatory fire Saturday — were even more direct. Qatar called Iran’s missiles “a flagrant violation” of its sovereignty. The UAE called the attack “a cowardly act.” Kuwait warned of “dire consequences.”

Norway offered what may have been the day’s most legally significant statement: Foreign Minister Espen Barth said Israel’s claim of a “preventive strike” is “not in line with international law” because “preventive attacks require an immediately imminent threat.”

When a country calls itself Iran’s strategic partner but offers only words after two rounds of strikes in eight months, is Beijing failing its ally — or executing a strategy that grows more valuable the longer the conflict lasts?

Sources

This report was compiled using information from China’s Foreign Ministry, China’s January UN Security Council statement, the Wang Yi-Araghchi call readout, Wang Yi’s Munich Security Conference speech, Al Jazeera’s world reactions roundup, ABC News, CNN, Chatham House, The Diplomat, and TASS via Pravda.

Freedom-Loving Beachwear by Red Beach Nation - Save 10% With Code RVM10