Chinese state media is warning U.S. President Donald Trump to wade carefully into the Iran-Israel conflict, writing in a new editorial that stoked tensions could trigger an aftermath that makes the previous Iraq and Afghanistan wars pale in comparison.
Why It Matters
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday that Trump, who has called for Iran’s “unconditional surrender,” is weighing U.S. military involvement in the Middle East over the next two weeks. Indeterminate numbers of casualties have occurred in both Iran and Israel, though Israel’s intentions to destroy Iran’s nuclear capabilities may require U.S. artillery aid in the form of multi-ton bunker buster bombs.
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What To Know
Whether or not the U.S. employs its precision-guided “bunker buster” bombs, the nation’s direct involvement in the region “will leave a complicated aftermath that might take it longer than the Iraq War or the Afghanistan War to deal with,” reads the editorial by China Daily, an English-language daily newspaper owned by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
“The international community, especially influential major countries, should uphold a fair position and a responsible attitude to create the necessary conditions for promoting a ceasefire and returning to dialogue and negotiation so as to prevent the regional situation from sliding into the abyss and triggering a greater disaster,” the editorial published on Friday reads.
Chinese Embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu told Newsweek on Friday that following Israel’s military action against Iran, China launched active diplomatic efforts and maintained communication with all relevant parties, including Iran and Israel, with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi speaking with the Israeli and Iranian foreign ministers last weekend, urging both sides to resolve their differences through dialogue.
“China believes that the use of force is not the right way to resolve international disputes, and that escalating tensions in the region is not in the common interest of the international community,” Liu said. “The pressing task is to work together to promote a ceasefire and end the conflict.
“China is ready to continue working with countries in the region and the broader international community to play a constructive role in restoring peace and stability in the Middle East as soon as possible.”
Rajan Menon, a senior research scholar at the Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies and professor at City College of New York, told Newsweek on Friday that China “has come out squarely” against Israeli attacks and been especially critical of Israel’s targeting of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.
“Yet it has also offered its services as mediator,” Menon said. “In 2023, Beijing brokered a rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia and has now once again presented itself as a peacemaker.
“This, in part, reflects its increasing ambitions to project political influence worldwide but, in this instance, also to highlight a constraint between itself and the Trump administration, which it has painted as bent on increasing the likelihood of a wider conflict.
“That said, I would be surprised to see this war end with a China-mediated deal.”
The editorial also questions whether Israel and/or the U.S. would be “held responsible” for war escalation, or more serious consequences emanating from a potential nuclear leak triggered by bombs.
“It is partly through projecting his administration as a peacemaker and accusing his predecessor of being the opposite that Trump won the presidential election in the U.S. in November,” the editorial continues. “Yet people’s hopes that he can fulfill his promise of ending both the Gaza and Ukraine crises have yet to be fulfilled.
“With the Israeli leader relentlessly trying to convince the U.S. that its interests overlap with Israel’s in the Middle East, the U.S. president should be clearheaded that the U.S.’ direct participation in a conflict between Israel and Iran might prove to be the tail wagging the dog.”
Chinese President Xi Jinping has expressed deep concern for the unfolding situation, saying during a meeting with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev at the China-Central Asia Summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, that escalation is “not in the common interest of the international community.”
“We oppose any act that infringes upon the sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity of other countries,” Xi said.
Also on Thursday, Xi spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin specifically about the Middle East conflict.
Xi reportedly laid out a four-point proposal with the following intentions: a ceasefire must be an urgent priority; ensuring civilian safety as a top priority; employing dialogue and negotiation as fundamental solutions; and utilizing the “indispensable peacemaking efforts” of the international community, according to Global Times, a daily Chinese tabloid under the CCP’s flagship newspaper, People’s Daily.
Along with the announcement of a dozen cooperation agreements spanning green mining, trade, connectivity, personnel exchanges, and customs, Xi also called on Central Asian countries to deepen cooperation under China’s “Belt and Road” infrastructure initiative.
What People Are Saying
Eric Olander, editor-in-chief of the China-Global South Project (CGSP): “This conflict—China came out very quickly and did not pretend to try and be a neutral arbiter, did not pretend to be kind of nonpartisan at all. They came out very quickly, backed Iran in this, framed the Israelis as the aggressor, and then also positioned the United States as manipulating all of this, which is par for the course in a lot of these types of incidents.”
President Donald Trump earlier this week wrote on Truth Social: “We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding. He is an easy target, but is safe there – We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now. But we don’t want missiles shot at civilians, or American soldiers. Our patience is wearing thin. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a national address, in part: “We warn America of the consequences of engaging in war, because it will suffer severe damage if it decides to do so. War is met with war, bombing with bombing, and strike with strike.”
What Happens Next
Russia has discouraged the U.S. from direct involvement in the Middle East, saying it would spark a wider regional conflict.
Updated 6/20/25, 5:46 p.m. ET: This story was updated with comment from Chinese Embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu.
