On a tour aimed at easing Middle East tensions, China’s special envoy on Middle East issues Zhai Jun visited Iran on Nov. 8 and called for a political settlement to regional conflicts.
Zhai met Ali Bagheri Kani, deputy secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, and two Iranian Foreign Ministry officials, China’s Foreign Ministry said in a readout of the talks.
He said the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations and the 10th anniversary of the countries’ comprehensive strategic partnership offered a chance to advance ties. Zhai also said force could not resolve the region’s conflicts and urged relevant parties to choose peace.
The Iranian officials said they wanted broader cooperation with China and supported resolving regional disputes through dialogue, according to the Chinese ministry’s account.
The meeting followed China’s announcement of a three-country tour on Nov. 2. The Foreign Ministry said the trip was intended to promote peace talks and ease tensions. Zhai plans to visit Oman and Saudi Arabia in early and mid-November; the ministry did not give dates for those stops.
