China-Russia call US, Israeli strikes illegal

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin used a joint statement in Beijing on May 20 to denounce recent U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran as illegal and destabilizing. The language came after talks at the Great Hall of the People and was released as the two leaders presented their summit as a show of strategic alignment. The statement said the strikes on Iran “breach international law and fundamental norms of international relations” and “seriously undermine stability in the Middle East.” ### What exactly did Beijing and Moscow say about the strikes? The May 20 joint statement said the two sides viewed the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran as violations of international law and as a threat to regional stability. ABC News, citing the statement published on the Kremlin website, reported that China and Russia said the strikes “breach international law and fundamental norms of international relations and seriously undermine stability in the Middle East.” (abcnews.com) The same statement called for a return “as soon as possible” to dialogue and negotiations and urged the wider international community to help de-escalate the conflict. It framed that appeal as necessary to prevent the conflict zone from expanding further. ### Where did this statement come from? Beijing hosted Putin on May 20 for talks with Xi, followed by joint press appearances and the signing of bilateral documents. (abcnews.com) China’s foreign ministry said Xi and Putin signed a joint statement on “further strengthening comprehensive strategic coordination and deepening good-neighborliness and friendly cooperation,” and that the two countries would also issue a joint statement on advocating a multipolar world and a new type of international relations. Russia’s presidential website listed May 19-20 as the dates of Putin’s official visit to China at Xi’s invitation. The Kremlin site also listed “Press statements following Russia-China talks” in Beijing on May 20, placing the Iran language within the formal summit record rather than an offhand remark. ### Why was Iran central to the summit language? Iran was central because the statement directly addressed the military campaign that began with joint U.S.-Israeli strikes across Iran on Feb. 28, according to ABC News. (mfa.gov.cn) The summit text did not treat the issue as a side note; it described ending the war as a matter of “utmost urgency.” China and Russia have both maintained close ties with Tehran in recent years. (en.kremlin.ru) ABC reported that Moscow and Beijing have been key partners for Iran, with Russia deepening military and economic links and China remaining a major buyer of Iranian oil. ### Did the statement go beyond Iran? The summit language extended beyond Iran to a broader critique of military intervention and coercive diplomacy. (abcnews.com) ABC, again citing the joint text, reported that the two governments condemned what they called “treacherous military strikes against other countries,” the use of negotiations as cover for preparing such strikes, assassinations of leaders of sovereign states, destabilization of domestic political systems and regime-change efforts. Other contemporaneous reports summarizing the communiqué said it also expressed support for Syria, raised concern about Arctic militarization and criticized Trump’s “Golden Dome” missile defense project. Those details appeared in multiple follow-up summaries of the statement, though the clearest directly accessible English text in available primary-source reporting centers on Iran, de-escalation and broader objections to strikes and regime change. (abcnews.com) ### How did Xi describe the wider China-Russia relationship? Xi said on May 20 that China-Russia ties had reached “the highest level in history” as a “comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for the new era,” according to China’s foreign ministry. He also noted that this was Putin’s 25th visit to China and said the two sides had agreed to extend the Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation again. (newindianexpress.com) Putin’s visit was billed by both governments as part of a broader push to deepen coordination, not a single-issue meeting. That made the Iran language part of a wider diplomatic message from Beijing and Moscow delivered at a summit both sides had prepared in advance. ### What comes next after the May 20 statement? The next concrete step is further publication and interpretation of the summit documents issued after the Beijing talks on May 20. (mfa.gov.cn) China’s foreign ministry and the Kremlin have both posted materials from the visit, including Xi’s press remarks and the Russian record of the trip, which are the main official sources for any fuller text or follow-on statements by Xi and Putin.