Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday met his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud in Beijing, reaffirming China’s strong support for negotiations in the Middle East and calling for sustained dialogue despite a fragile ceasefire.
“Talking is better than fighting, and dialogue is better than confrontation,” Wang said, according to a statement released by China’s foreign ministry on Tuesday night.
On the evolving regional situation, Wang said the current priority was to uphold and implement the memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran and to maintain momentum in negotiations for a comprehensive agreement.
Washington and Tehran signed the 14-point memorandum on June 17. It calls for an immediate and permanent halt to all military operations across all fronts, with Iran committing to ensuring safe passage for commercial vessels at no cost for 60 days while the US agreed to release frozen Iranian assets.
On Tuesday, Wang said Beijing was ready to work with Saudi Arabia to contribute to easing tensions and fostering lasting peace and stability in the region.