United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken told NPR that he had discussed regional tensions in the Middle East with Chinese officials during his visit to China.
“I’ve had, I think, six conversations with my Chinese counterparts since October 7”, he said.
“I actually believe that China could play a constructive role in trying to make sure that conflict doesn’t spread, that we don’t see escalation”.
He added that China “has influence with critical countries in the region, including, for example, Iran”.
“So what I’m focused on is trying to encourage China to use that influence in a productive way,” he said.
“We’ve seen some evidence that they have engaged because it’s also in their interest to make sure that conflict doesn’t spread”.
“For example, China is deeply reliant on energy coming from the Middle East. It has no interest in a Middle East that’s in flames, full of conflict, and just out of its own self-interest, I think, is looking to take appropriate action,” Blinken concluded.
Source: ALJazeera