BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday called for a ceasefire in the Gulf region as soon as possible, stressing that the sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of Gulf countries should be fully respected, according to statements from his ministry.
Wang made the remarks in a phone call with his Kuwaiti counterpart Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah on Monday as Iran answered a US-Israeli bombing campaign with strikes around the Gulf region.
In a separate call, Wang told Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani that China was deeply concerned about the rapidly escalating situation and would play a constructive role in maintaining peace and stability in the region.
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Earlier, China has opposed any attempt to target Iran’s newly appointed supreme leader, emphasizing respect for the country’s sovereignty and internal decisions.
Reacting to the appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei, son of Ali Khamenei, as the new Supreme Leader of Iran, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China said the decision was an internal constitutional matter of Iran.
The spokesperson added that China opposes interference in the internal affairs of other countries under any pretext and stressed that Iran’s sovereignty, security and territorial integrity must be respected.
It is worth noting that 56-year-old Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei was nominated as Iran’s Supreme Leader by the 88-member Assembly of Experts.