Overview
- Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Israel’s Gideon Saar the strikes must stop immediately, calling the killing of Iran’s leader unacceptable.
- Wang held calls with counterparts in Iran, Oman, France and Russia to press for de‑escalation, and Tehran pledged to safeguard Chinese citizens and assets.
- Oil jumped and global markets swung as analysts highlighted China’s outsized exposure to Iranian crude, which supplied about 13.4% of its seaborne imports last year.
- Beijing is pushing for a ceasefire while monitoring energy disruptions, including reported Gulf LNG outages such as a production halt at QatarEnergy.
- The campaign against Iran is clouding President Trump’s planned late‑March visit to Beijing, with dates unconfirmed and expectations lowered by China’s restrained stance.