Xi, Putin condemn 'treacherous' strikes, urge US to end Iran war
LONDON -- Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing on Wednesday, with the two leaders releasing a joint statement urging an end to the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran as a matter of "utmost urgency."
"The sides agree that military strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran breach international law and fundamental norms of international relations and seriously undermine stability in the Middle East," the joint statement published on the Kremlin website said.
The statement stressed "the need for a return as soon as possible of the conflicting parties to dialogue and negotiations aimed to prevent the conflict zone from spreading and urged the international community to maintain an objective and impartial position, to assist de-escalation, and to defend the fundamental norms of international relations together."
The two leaders also condemned what they called "treacherous military strikes against other countries, the hypocritical use of negotiations as cover for preparing such strikes, the assassination of leaders of sovereign states, the destabilization of the domestic political situation in these states and the provocation of regime change, and the brazen kidnapping of national leaders for trial."
Moscow and Beijing have both been key partners for Tehran in recent years, as the U.S. and its European allies have sought to weaken the Islamic Republic through international sanctions and diplomatic isolation.
Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine since 2022 prompted the fostering of deeper military and economic ties between Moscow and Tehran, with Iranian munitions -- in particular Iranian-designed Shahed strike drones -- playing a key role in Russia's ongoing campaign.
China, meanwhile, remains a key customer of Iranian oil, with some analysts estimating that Beijing accounts for up to 90% of Tehran's crude exports.
China has been pushing for a diplomatic resolution to the conflict in Iran, which began with joint U.S.-Israeli strikes all across the country on Feb. 28. Beijing says it has been coordinating closely with Pakistan, which has emerged as a key mediator in as-yet unsuccessful peace talks between Washington and Tehran.
Following the meeting between Xi and Putin, both sides expressed support for the other's "territorial integrity."
Russia, Putin said -- according to the Kremlin readout -- "reaffirms its commitment to the One China principle and recognizes the existence of only one China. Taiwan is its integral part, and the government of the People's Republic of China is the only legitimate government representing all of China."
China, the readout said, "supports Russia's efforts towards the provision of security, stability, national development, prosperity, sovereignty and territorial integrity and 'opposes external interference in Russian internal affairs.'"
ABC News' Joe Simonetti contributed to this report.
