Chinese President Xi Jinping called on BRICS countries to support a political resolution to the conflict in the Middle East and push for a “permanent and comprehensive ceasefire.” He made the remarks on Saturday at the BRICS Summit in New Delhi.
Xi said the situation in the Middle East and the Gulf region remains complex, and that the conflict has inflicted severe losses on people in the region while running counter to the broader interests of the international community. He said all relevant parties should stay on the path of a political settlement and address the root causes of the crisis.
The Chinese leader also said the Palestinian issue has always been at the core of the Middle East question and stressed the importance of implementing the so-called “two-state solution” with Israel. China, he said, is ready to work with other BRICS members to play its part in restoring peace and stability in the Middle East and the Gulf region.
Xi’s comments came as China remains Iran’s biggest trading partner and a key buyer of Tehran’s energy exports. Last month, the Donald Trump administration imposed a tough new round of economic sanctions on Iran. The U.S. Treasury’s measures, dubbed “Operation Economic Outcast,” are aimed at severing Iran’s financial links around the world.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent indicated when launching the initiative that China would not be exempt. Economists say that although energy prices surged in the wake of the conflict, China has helped prevent an even sharper rise because of years of stockpiling and a subsequent pullback in oil purchases.
Xi’s speech also came ahead of his planned White House meeting with President Donald Trump later this month. BRICS was established in 2009 as a counterweight to Western dominance. It originally included Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, and later expanded to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates.
