China stresses the Middle East needs to be free of external interference for peace and stability: China Daily editorial

Despite the fact that Iran is sanctioned by the United States and some other Western countries, China firmly believes that its normal cooperation and trade with Iran are those with a good friend and partner to the benefit of the two peoples. The two sides firmly support each other in safeguarding their respective core interests and have taken their mutual trust to a new level.

In a meeting with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi in the Chinese capital on Saturday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi pledged Beijing's further cooperation with Teheran.

He also voiced Beijing's commitment to supporting Teheran within multilateral frameworks such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS.

In the meeting, both ministers agreed that the solution to the Palestinian issue requires respect for and restoration of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people and an end to Israel's occupation of the Gaza Strip.

Both ministers also agreed that an immediate ceasefire, a full withdrawal of troops, and urgent humanitarian assistance are imperative. The ceasefire agreement in Lebanon must be implemented effectively and efficiently.

This has long been China's stand on the solution to the conflict between the Palestinians and the Israelis.

China believes that the unrest in the Middle East has a lot to do with the intervention of external forces, which have placed their own geopolitical interests above the rights and interests of local people.

A lack of respect for the will of local people and for the cultural traditions and religion, which are the foundation for the political systems of regional countries, has prompted external interference in different ways that has led to continuous military conflicts in the region.

The invasion of Iraq by the United States and its allies in 2003 is a case in point. Instead of wiping out the root causes of terrorism, the war that was launched on made-up evidence of the Iraqi regime possessing weapons of mass destruction resulted in the rise of the Islamic State terrorist organization, which brought widespread suffering to the region.

That explains why China has sent Middle East envoys time and again to seek political solutions to the animosities instead of directly getting involved in the affairs of specific countries there.

The Middle East belongs to its people and should not serve as a battleground for big power games or a victim of geopolitical rivalries, as the two parties said in a joint statement released by the Chinese Foreign Ministry following Saturday's meeting.

"The future and destiny of Middle Eastern countries should be determined by the people of the region themselves," the statement said. "The international community must respect their sovereignty, security, stability, unity, and territorial integrity."

The civil war would not have taken place in Syria without the interference of some big powers in its internal affairs.

As far as the situation in Syria is concerned, with the fall of the Bashar al-Assad government in Syria, China hopes that the new regime will find a political solution to restore stability and order as soon as possible.

The Syrian people have suffered too much and for too long during the protracted civil war. All relevant parties should do their utmost to promote peace in Syria and the reconstruction of the war-torn country for the well-being of the Syrian people. The same is true for the Palestinian people, and the people in Lebanon.

The China-brokered reconciliation deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia in 2023 that concluded the seven years of tensions between the two Gulf countries should serve as a strong example that talks can effectively ease tensions and produce a political settlement of disputes or conflict between countries.

China will unswervingly continue to advocate the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries in the region being respected and the settlement of disputes as well as conflicts through talks.

As long as all parties have enough patience and determination to seek political solutions, there is hope for lasting peace in the Middle East. China will continue to make unremitting efforts in this regard.

China has always given high priority to its relations with countries in the region, which occupies an important position in China's foreign relations. No matter how the international situation changes, China's neutral stance and willingness to strengthen cooperation with countries in the region will remain unchanged.