World order ‘crumbling into disarray’ as Iran war drags: Xi Jinping

Chinese President Xi Jinping lamented a world in “disarray” and vowed to play a constructive role in the Middle East, making his first remarks on the Iran war since the US and Israel began attacks more than a month ago.

“The international order is crumbling into disarray,” Mr Xi told Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on April 14 in Beijing.

That was among the strongest language he has used to describe the Western-led world order, with the Chinese phrase indicating not only chaos but also moral decay.

In an earlier meeting with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled Mohammed, Mr Xi reiterated that China would continue to play a “constructive role” in the Middle East, positioning the Asian power as a stabilising force amid a conflict that has left thousands dead and disrupted global energy flows.

While a readout of those talks did not mention the Iran war specifically, it noted that the two sides “exchanged views on the current situation in the Middle East and the Gulf region”.

China has criticised the military action against Iran and warned it risks plunging the Middle East into deeper instability.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi has urged the international community to step up efforts to promote peace talks between Iran and the US, warning that the current truce remains fragile and must be preserved.

The meeting between Mr Sanchez and Mr Xi is their fourth in just over three years as Spain positions itself as one of China’s closest friends in Europe.

Spain has been among the European countries most strongly opposed to the US-Israeli war in Iran, which Mr Sanchez has described as “illegal”.

Ahead of the meeting, Mr Sanchez urged China to leverage its global influence to help bring the conflicts in Iran and Ukraine to an end.

“Both China and Spain are nations of principle and integrity,” Mr Xi said.

He added that the two sides should “enhance communication, consolidate mutual trust, and cooperate closely to resist any regression towards the law of the jungle”.

Spain has closed its airspace to US warplanes involved in the conflict. It is also barring Washington from using its two military bases on Spanish territory for that purpose.

At the same time, Spain has condemned Iran’s response to the US and Israeli strikes and warned of regional destabilisation.

During opening remarks at the meeting on April 14, Mr Sanchez said he was in Beijing so that the two countries can “contribute to providing solutions to the various trade tensions, the difficulties and geopolitical complexities of today’s world, the wars, and the environmental and social challenges affecting the world”.

Mr Sanchez defended establishing “an even stronger bond between China and the European Union”.

Despite the scepticism of some other European countries regarding China, the Spanish Prime Minister said cooperation between both sides “will benefit their societies and also contribute to the stability, peace and prosperity of the world”.

In his meeting with Abu Dhabi’s crown prince, Mr Xi put forward a four-point proposal for maintaining peace in the Middle East, including upholding the principles of peaceful coexistence, sovereignty, rule of international law and the pursuit of development and security, according to the readout.

Sheikh Khaled, 44, is the eldest son of United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed Zayed and has taken on more prominent national security and economic roles over the past year.

That includes being appointed to oversee the UAE’s newest wealth fund, L’imad Holding Co.

The UAE has been hit by Iranian strikes as Tehran targeted energy infrastructure across the region, crippling refineries, petrochemical and liquefied natural gas facilities, and forced some of the world’s biggest oil producers to slash production.

The durability of the ceasefire that began earlier in April is now being tested, with US President Donald Trump ordering a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which took effect on April 13.

The US and Iran are in discussions about holding another round of face-to-face negotiations after meetings in Islamabad over the weekend ended in failure, Bloomberg reported earlier, citing people familiar with the matter. BLOOMBERG