Path to peace lies beneath our feet; strength will not bring true peace: Chinese foreign minister

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday criticized the notion of "might makes right," questioning where rules and justice stand under such logic at a joint press conference in Paris with his French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot. “Strength will not bring true peace; it may well open 'Pandora’s box'. How should countries lacking strength, especially small and medium-sized ones, find their place? Are they to be laid out on the table, left at the mercy of others?” said Wang.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, is visiting Europe from June 30 to July 6, at the invitation of High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the EU Kaja Kallas, Federal Foreign Minister of Germany Johann Wadephul, and Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France Jean-Noel Barrot.

Responding to questions about China's stance on the Iran nuclear issue and the current situation in the Middle East, Wang said that the Iran nuclear issue could have been a model for resolving international disputes through dialogue and negotiation. However, it has now triggered a new round of crisis in the Middle East. Despite hearing the knock of peace, the door to peace remains shut. China deeply regrets this outcome and believes there are profound lessons to be learned.

Wang reiterated China's clear and consistent position on the Iran nuclear issue. “We value the repeated public commitments made by Iranian Supreme Leader that Iran will not develop nuclear weapons, and we also respect Iran’s right, as a signatory to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), to the peaceful use of nuclear energy,” he said. 

Based on this, relevant parties should accelerate negotiations to reach a new international agreement on resolving the Iran nuclear issue, placing Iran's nuclear activities fully under the strict supervision and safeguards of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Wang said. 

He emphasized that the path to peace lies beneath our feet, and history will question the sincerity of all parties involved.

The Chinese foreign minister said that military conflicts between Israel and Iran should not be repeated as war cannot resolve the Iran nuclear issue, and preemptive strikes lack legitimacy. The excessive use of force will only escalate conflict and breed more animosity, warning that the US’s brazen bombing of a sovereign country's nuclear facilities has set a dangerous precedent and if it leads to a nuclear disaster, the entire world will bear the consequences.

Wang also emphasized that the genuine resolution of the Iran nuclear issue cannot ignore the core issue in the Middle East, which is the Palestinian question. The humanitarian disaster in Gaza must not be allowed to continue. The Palestinian issue must no longer be marginalized. The legitimate aspirations of the Arab nation should be fulfilled as soon as possible, and the just voices of the broader Islamic world must be given due attention.

The "two-state solution" remains the only realistic path to resolving the chaos in the Middle East, and the international community should take more concrete and effective action to support this goal, Wang said.

Wang called for China and France, both as permanent members of the UN Security Council, to uphold justice and take responsibility by supporting conflict resolution through dialogue and negotiation, opposing double standards, and basing their positions on the merits of the matter itself. The UN and its Security Council should play their due role in promoting peace. China is willing to work with France to make unremitting efforts toward these goals.