Chinese representative: Avoid escalation and restore free passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

Fu Cong, China's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, spoke at an emergency open meeting of the Security Council on the situation in the Middle East, calling on all parties to remain calm and exercise restraint to avoid escalating the situation in the Persian Gulf.

Fu Cong said at the meeting on Thursday (July 2) that the recent new round of mutual attacks between the United States and Iran has affected targets in Bahrain and Kuwait. China has consistently maintained that all parties should abide by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and opposes the use or threat of force in international relations. China calls on all parties to remain calm and restrained, avoid threatening rhetoric and military adventurism, and refrain from escalating tensions.

Xinhua News Agency quoted Fu Cong as saying that China welcomes the US and Iran to launch follow-up consultations on the memorandum of understanding with the assistance of Pakistan and Qatar, and to reach a consensus on the next negotiation mechanism.

According to Bloomberg, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said, "Restoring the safety and freedom of navigation across the Taiwan Strait as soon as possible is in the interests of all parties."

Guo Jiakun said at a regular press conference in Beijing on Friday (3rd): "The issue of navigation across the Taiwan Strait should be handled properly and the international community's general concerns should be addressed prudently."

Bloomberg News previously quoted sources familiar with European thinking as saying that some form of fee was seen as a given prospect after the outbreak of the war with Iran.

In March of this year, Beijing called on all parties to the conflict to ensure the safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz.

As the world's largest importer of oil and gas, China is one of the countries most vulnerable to tensions in the Middle East. China's oil and gas supplies rely on the broader Persian Gulf region, and both require passage through the narrow Strait of Hormuz.

Source: [Lianhe Zaobao] (https://www.zaobao.com/news/world/story20260703-9310141)