Following the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei in a US-Israeli airstrike, China, which had maintained a cautious stance, belatedly released an official statement about 14 hours after the death was announced, indicating that it is still struggling to respond to the situation.
News of Khamenei’s death broke early on the morning of the 1st (local time), but Chinese authorities remained silent until that afternoon, focusing instead on conveying the facts through state-run media, primarily foreign media reports. They also appeared to refrain from harsh criticism of the United States. However, that evening, China sent a relatively strong message, stating, “The assassination of a sovereign leader and instigation of regime change are unacceptable.”
China’s position was revealed at 6:44 p.m. in a phone call between Wang Yi, director of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Communist Party of China (and concurrently Foreign Minister), and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
This was 14 hours after President Donald Trump stated in an NBC News interview that “we believe that is a true story” regarding the rumors of Khamenei’s death.
According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Director Wang stated in the call, “It is unacceptable that the United States and Israel attacked Iran during the Iran-US negotiations,” and that “this violates international law and the basic norms of international relations.” He emphasized the principled aspect of China’s position, stating that “the escalation of war must be prevented.”
Earlier, at 6:37 p.m., the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs also posted a statement in the form of a Q&A on its website, stating, “The attack and assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader is a serious violation of Iran’s sovereignty and security,” and that “China resolutely opposes and strongly condemns this.” However, the statement appeared to be careful to “control the tone,” avoiding directly naming the United States and Israel.
Foreign Minister Lavrov called for an immediate cessation of hostilities, stating that “the military actions of the United States and Israel have seriously undermined stability in the Middle East,” and aligned himself with China. However, China’s latest statement is seen as somewhat different from its wait-and-see approach following the news of Supreme Leader Khamenei’s death. It appears that considerable internal deliberation took place over the level of its position in the 14 hours following Supreme Leader Khamenei’s death. China previously focused solely on highlighting Iran’s UN Ambassador Fu Qong’s remarks at the UN Security Council, emphasizing Iran’s sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity, and refrained from using language directly targeting the United States.
Singapore’s Lianhua Zaobao also reported that afternoon, “The collapse of the Iranian regime will not only impact the political landscape of the Middle East but also China’s interests,” adding, “However, China has been relatively calm in its response to the US and Israeli attacks on Iran.” China’s initial moderation, followed by its official message following a phone call with Russia, may have been driven by complex considerations such as its Middle Eastern energy interests and its management of US-China relations.
Given that a significant portion of China’s crude oil imports pass through the Strait of Hormuz, the rapid turmoil in the Middle East directly impacts energy security. Analysts suggest that, given the upcoming US-China summit next month, China may have also been calculating not to immediately escalate the issue into a head-on conflict. Ultimately, China appears to have observed the situation for a period and then settled on criticizing the US and Israel within the framework of the principles of “respect for sovereignty” and “cessation of military action.”
In contrast, Taiwan has already delivered a clear diplomatic message. Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te stated on Facebook, “We are maintaining close contact and communication with like-minded countries and global partners.” He also stated that he has instructed Taiwan to closely monitor the impact of energy and raw material price fluctuations on the Taiwanese economy, finances, and livelihood stability in preparation for escalating tensions in the Middle East and to prepare for a preemptive response.