At China’s Foreign Ministry press briefing today, spokesman Wang Wenbin was asked about China’s relationship to Iran following President Xi Xinping’s visit to Saudi Arabia and keynote at the China-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit last week. Many GCC nations have tensions with Persian Gulf nation Iran. Wang’s response showed the qualitatively different path China is taking in the region.
He replied: “The GCC countries and Iran are all China’s friends, and neither China-GCC relations nor China-Iran relations are targeted at any third party. China supports the GCC countries in improving relations with Iran based on the principle of good-neighborly friendship, conducting win-win cooperation with Iran and jointly promoting the development and stability in the Persian Gulf. China is willing to continue to play a constructive role in this regard.”
