Chinese envoy urges Israel to halt ‘risky' Iran attacks, warns of ‘serious consequences'
A senior Chinese diplomat has urged Israel to halt its
military actions against Iran as tensions between the two Middle Eastern rivals mount, warning the escalating conflict could have 'serious consequences'.
Advertisement
Fu Cong, China's ambassador to the UN, told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Friday that the surging tensions in the region did not serve the interests of any party.
'China urges Israel to immediately stop all risky military actions to avoid further escalation of tensions,' Fu said, according to Chinese state news agency Xinhua.
'China condemns Israel's actions that violate Iran's sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity, opposes the escalation of tensions and the expansion of conflict, and expresses deep concern over the serious consequences that Israel's actions may bring.'
The comments came as Israel on Friday launched pre-emptive
large-scale attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities and other military targets across the country, citing a 'secret programme' by the Iranian government to develop nuclear weapons.
Advertisement
The attack, dubbed 'Operation Rising Lion', has killed several senior Iranian military officials and has raised global concerns that the long-standing tensions between the two countries could escalate into a full-blown war.
Iran has vowed retaliation, saying Israel would face 'severe punishment' for the strikes. Later on Friday, it launched hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
2 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
How to answer Xia's call for Hong Kong? Tap global ties and lure talent, experts say
Hong Kong should maintain its international connectivity and attract talent to speed up its economic transformation, analysts and figures from the commerce sector have said, as they hailed the enactment of the national security law for improving the business environment. Some political analysts also called on government officials to take bolder steps and adopt new thinking, taking advantage of the social stability and order brought by the security law Beijing imposed on the city in 2020. Their suggestions came after the director of the State Council's Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, Xia Baolong, said the implementation of the law was a 'watershed' for the financial hub that brought order after chaos. But Xia, who made the remarks at a forum on Saturday marking the anniversary of the implementation of the national security law, also warned against complacency, calling for unity to support the government and urging the administration to come up with innovative governance concepts to enhance effectiveness. Political scientist Hung Wing-lok of the School of Governance and Policy Science at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said: 'Hong Kong should seize the opportunity to attract more foreign talent to speed up its economic transformation. 'As tensions between China and the United States remain high, Hong Kong should continue to keep its international connectivity to maintain its status as a global financial hub.
South China Morning Post
3 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Focus on how to improve Hong Kong, fencing star Vivian Kong tells youngsters
Focus on what you can do to improve Hong Kong and mainland China instead of their shortcomings, Olympic gold medallist Vivian Kong Man-wai has told the city's youngsters. The fencing star also urged young Hongkongers on Saturday to understand their identity, as she shared her experience of studying international relations at Stanford University in the US during a forum commemorating the fifth anniversary of the Beijing-imposed national security law. 'My biggest takeaway is that Americans do not understand China, but even worse, I realise I do not understand it either. I need to learn more,' the 31-year-old told a panel. 'As I represent Hong Kong, China, I should understand my identity and not disgrace anyone.' She said the city had the support of its motherland, citing her experience of being treated by a therapist from the national team when the Hong Kong team lacked resources. Kong added that the city's athletes enjoyed privileges when training on the mainland, such as being treated to the best quality meals usually reserved for top-tier national sportspeople. She also said Hong Kong athletes could bypass qualifiers to secure their spots in the National Games.
The Standard
5 hours ago
- The Standard
Police arrest 118 in major online scam crackdown
Iran warns of 'surprise' move to be 'remembered for centuries' as Middle East crisis deepens
