BEIJING, Aug 24 (Reuters) – China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Monday the situation in the Middle East and Gulf region had again reached a critical juncture and urged parties involved to return to dialogue and negotiations as soon as possible.
Wang made the remarks in a meeting with Foreign Minister of Kuwait Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah in Beijing, according to a Chinese foreign ministry statement.
• Wang said “the old script of recurring conflict should not be repeated” and the top priority is to de-escalate the situation.
• He said China was willing to strengthen coordination with Kuwait and continue contributing to the restoration of peace and stability in the region.
• Tensions in the Gulf have escalated, with the U.S. preparing new economic measures targeting Iran’s trade partners and Tehran threatening to halt oil exports from the waterway through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil passes.
• The meeting came as the U.S. threatened Iran with “the greatest financial offensive ever” targeting Iran’s trade partners.
• Iran dismissed the U.S. threat and vowed to shut down all oil exports from the Gulf “if the economic war continues” and issued a new warning to shipping not to pass through the Strait of Hormuz without its permission.
(Reporting by Shi Bu and Liz Lee; Editing by Hugh Lawson)