Top Chinese officials hold talks with OIC amid rising Middle East tensions
China's vice president and foreign minister meet with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s secretary-general, calling for regional security cooperation as US-Iran tensions escalate.
China's vice president and foreign minister held talks with the secretary-general of the 57-nation Organisation of Islamic Cooperation on Monday, according to a ministry statement and the official news agency, Xinhua.
The talks in the Chinese capital of Beijing come amid heightened Middle East tension after an Iranian official said the country would treat any attack "as an all-out war against us".
Those comments followed US President Donald Trump's remark the previous day that the United States had an "armada" heading toward Iran, adding it was "just in case", warning Iran not to kill protesters or restart its nuclear programme.
An Iranian official in the region said on Sunday that at least 5,000 were killed after a wave of protests over economic hardship.
In Monday's talks, Foreign Minister Wang Yi called for the building of a regional security partnership and the political settlement of hot-spot issues, the ministry said.
US officials had said an aircraft carrier and several guided-missile destroyers would arrive in the Middle East in the coming days.
Last week, China pushed back on the US-led initiative of the “Board of Peace” for Gaza, citing concerns over external interference. Instead, China said it would defend the international system with the United Nations "at its core", a day after announcing it had been invited to join Trump’s "Board of Peace".
Beijing has sought to play a more neutral role, promoting dialogue and economic development as tools to enhance regional stability and security. This approach was underscored in 2023, when China brokered a landmark rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia—a move widely seen as a significant contribution to easing regional tensions and strengthening Middle East security.