Spain’s prime minister on Tuesday urged China to play a leading role in resolving the war in Iran, saying Beijing is uniquely positioned to help end conflicts destabilizing the Middle East and beyond.
Speaking during a visit to Beijing, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said China was the only global power he could envision helping de-escalate fighting in Iran and other flashpoints, including Ukraine.
“I find it very difficult to find other interlocutors, beyond China, who can resolve this situation in Iran and the Strait of Hormuz,” Sánchez said, urging China to step up its diplomatic efforts.
His comments came as he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who called for safeguarding multilateralism and warned against what he described as a global slide toward the “law of the jungle.”
Xi said China and Spain should strengthen communication and cooperation to address geopolitical tensions, while Sánchez said the two countries could help ease trade disputes and confront shared environmental, social and security challenges.
Sánchez, whose country is a member of NATO, has been among Europe’s most outspoken critics of U.S. and Israeli military actions in the Middle East. His government recently barred U.S. military flights tied to the Iran war from using Spanish airspace and has limited the use of joint U.S.-Spanish bases for related operations.
The visit comes as relations between Madrid and Washington have been strained by Sánchez’s opposition to the war. Spain is seeking to deepen political and commercial ties with China, which Sánchez has described as a key diplomatic interlocutor in today’s fragmented global landscape.
This is a breaking news article. Updates to follow.
Reporting by the Associated Press contributed to this article.
