PARIS – War is not a solution to the Iranian nuclear issue and preemptive strikes apparently lack legitimacy, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday, stressing that the abuse of military force will only lead to further conflict and accumulate more hatred.
Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks at a joint press conference with his French counterpart, Jean-Noel Barrot in Paris.
When asked about the situation in the Middle East, the Chinese diplomat said the Iranian nuclear issue could have served as an example of resolving international disputes through dialogue and negotiation. However, it is now falling into a new round of the Middle East crisis. China regrets to see what is happening, he said, adding that lessons should be thoroughly reflected upon.
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Stressing that China's position on the Iranian nuclear issue is clear and consistent, he said China attaches importance to the repeated public commitments made by Iran's top leader that Iran will not develop nuclear weapons. At the same time, China respects Iran's right to peaceful use of nuclear energy as a signatory to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
On this basis, the parties concerned can speed up negotiations on a new international agreement to settle the Iranian nuclear issue and place Iran's nuclear activities completely under the strict supervision and protection of the International Atomic Energy Agency, he said, emphasizing that the path to peace lies ahead, and history will test the sincerity of all parties.
The recent military conflicts between Israel and Iran should not be repeated, said the Chinese foreign minister, adding that the United States has set a negative precedent by openly bombing the nuclear facilities of a sovereign nation.
He warned that if such actions trigger a nuclear disaster, the whole world would bear the consequences.
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The claim of "peace through strength" is based on the logic of power politics, he said, questioning that if strength alone dictates right and wrong, what then would become of rules and justice.
Strength cannot bring true peace. Rather, it may well open a Pandora's box, he said, asking how less powerful nations, especially small and medium-sized countries, are supposed to survive.
The true resolution of the Iranian nuclear issue cannot evade the core of the Middle East problem, namely the Palestinian issue, Wang said. The humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza must not continue any longer, he added.
The Palestinian issue must not be marginalized again, the legitimate aspirations of the Arab people should be fulfilled as soon as possible, and the just voice of the broader Islamic world must be heeded, he said.
Wang stressed that the "two-state solution" remains the only realistic way to break the cycle of turmoil in the Middle East, and the international community must take more concrete and effective actions to advance it.
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China and France, both as permanent members of the UN Security Council, should uphold justice, take responsibility, support resolving conflicts through dialogue and negotiation, oppose any double standards, and determine their own positions and policies based on the right and wrong of the matter, he said.
The United Nations and its Security Council should play their due role in promoting peace, Wang said, adding that China is willing to work with France to make unremitting efforts to this end.
