“China strongly condemns and firmly opposes the attack on the consular section of the Iranian embassy in Damascus, regarding it as a serious violation of international law and unacceptable. China has noted Iran’s statement that its action taken was limited and was an act of self-defense.” These are the words of China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, presenting Beijing’s position regarding the recent confrontations between Israel and Iran.
It’s worth noting that the strong condemnation did not mention the word “Israel,” nor did it address the hundreds of missiles and aircraft directed at Israeli territory, which is contrary to international law, as often mentioned by China.
Wang also didn’t make any effort to communicate with Israel’s foreign minister and instead chose to send special envoy to the Middle East, Zhai Jun, to have a brief conversation with Israel’s ambassador to China, Irit Ben-Abba.
China’s recent response mirrors its approach to previous incidents. For instance, China has refrained from condemning Hamas or even mentioning its name in relation to the conflict, yet it has not hesitated to “strongly condemn the Israeli attack on civilians in Gaza.” This pattern is evident in recent events, with China consistently issuing direct and unequivocal condemnation of Israel, while offering a softer and understanding statement in relation to the Palestinians or, in this case, the Iranians.
Chinese officials and researchers often justify these concessions to the Palestinian side by stating that China “condemns any action against civilians.” If that is the case, China should be grateful that Israel possesses a formidable military and is supported by a coalition of countries, led by the United States, that collaborated to prevent the hundreds of missiles and UAVs from targeting Israeli citizens. Otherwise, China would need to find alternative ways of expressing condemnation without actually condemning.
“China strongly condemns and firmly opposes the attack on the consular section of the Iranian embassy in Damascus, regarding it as a serious violation of international law and unacceptable. China has noted Iran’s statement that its action taken was limited and was an act of self-defense.” These are the words of China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, presenting Beijing’s position regarding the recent confrontations between Israel and Iran.
It’s worth noting that the strong condemnation did not mention the word “Israel,” nor did it address the hundreds of missiles and aircraft directed at Israeli territory, which is contrary to international law, as often mentioned by China.
Wang also didn’t make any effort to communicate with Israel’s foreign minister and instead chose to send special envoy to the Middle East, Zhai Jun, to have a brief conversation with Israel’s ambassador to China, Irit Ben-Abba.
China’s recent response mirrors its approach to previous incidents. For instance, China has refrained from condemning Hamas or even mentioning its name in relation to the conflict, yet it has not hesitated to “strongly condemn the Israeli attack on civilians in Gaza.” This pattern is evident in recent events, with China consistently issuing direct and unequivocal condemnation of Israel, while offering a softer and understanding statement in relation to the Palestinians or, in this case, the Iranians.
Chinese officials and researchers often justify these concessions to the Palestinian side by stating that China “condemns any action against civilians.” If that is the case, China should be grateful that Israel possesses a formidable military and is supported by a coalition of countries, led by the United States, that collaborated to prevent the hundreds of missiles and UAVs from targeting Israeli citizens. Otherwise, China would need to find alternative ways of expressing condemnation without actually condemning.