China has stepped up diplomatic efforts to resolve the Middle East crisis, urging a return to the negotiating table in back-to-back meetings with Iranian, Omani and Saudi officials in Beijing, AFP reports.
Beijing supports Tehran in “safeguarding its own sovereignty and security”, Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Ali Bagheri Kani, the deputy secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, according to a Chinese statement.
Wang later called for dialogue to end the conflict “while safeguarding regional energy security and the safety of shipping lanes”, as he met with Saudi National Security Adviser Musaad bin Mohammad al-Aiban.
President Xi Jinping also met Oman’s sultan for talks in Beijing. Xi told Haitham bin Tariq that China was ready to “contribute to peace, stability and prosperity in the region”.
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