Major countries with military advantage must not arbitrarily attack other countries, Chinese FM says

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday said that major countries must not use their military advantage to carry out arbitrary attacks against other nations.

"The world should not revert to the law of the jungle," Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said during a phone conversation with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot.

The Iranian nuclear issue should ultimately be resolved through political and diplomatic means, Wang said. He expressed hope that France will uphold an objective and impartial position, maintain a calm and rational approach, and work with China to promote de-escalation of tensions in the Middle East and jointly uphold the basic norms of international relations.

Barrot stressed that France and China, both permanent members of the UN Security Council, bear special responsibilities for safeguarding international peace and security. The United States and Israel carried out military operations against Iran without consulting the UN Security Council and without its authorization, he said, adding that all parties should work together to de-escalate the tensions and resolve issues such as the Iranian nuclear issue through negotiations.

China maintains good relations with both Iran and Gulf countries, and France looks forward to working with China to play a positive role in easing and cooling down the regional situation, he said.