Beijing: China announced on Tuesday it will deliver emergency humanitarian assistance to West Asia countries, including Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, and Iraq, which have been hit by US and Israeli strikes in a conflict now entering its third week.
Foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian made the pledge during a regular press briefing in Beijing, AFP reported.
“The war has caused grave humanitarian catastrophes in Iran and other West Asia nations,” he said. “China has decided to provide emergency humanitarian assistance to Iran, Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq. It is hoped this will help alleviate the humanitarian plight faced by the local populations.”
Lin added that Beijing remains committed to diplomacy. “China will continue to make every effort to promote peace and stop the war… and to prevent further spreading of the humanitarian crisis,” he stated, without disclosing specifics on the aid package’s size or composition.
The war, now in its third week, began with joint US-Israel strikes on Iran late February, killing over 1,300 people including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and prompting Iranian retaliation with missiles, drones targeting US bases in the Gulf states, besides military and key installations in Israel and closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
China, a longstanding partner of Iran, has balanced its stance by urging the US and Israel to end their attacks while criticizing Tehran’s strikes on Gulf nations. Beijing’s special envoy to the Middle East, Zhai Jun, recently met Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister to push for de-escalation. Top diplomat Wang Yi has also said that the war “should never have happened” and called for an immediate ceasefire.
The aid announcement follows US President Donald Trump’s decision to postpone a planned visit to Beijing due to the conflict, as confirmed by the White House. Trump has pressed China to assist in reopening the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of global oil supplies pass.
