Taking a veiled dig at the United States (US) and his American counterpart Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Saturday that the conflict in the Middle East that began in late February is neither serving any purpose, nor the world's interests.
73-year-old Xi made the remarks while speaking at the 18th BRICS Summit at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi that is being attended by many global leaders, including Russia's Vladimir Putin and Iran's President Dr Masoud Pezeshkian.
"As the situation in the Middle East and the Gulf region continues to evolve, the war there has caused serious losses to people across the region," Xi was quoted by state news agency Xinhua as saying. "It does not serve the common interests of the international community."
In his message at the event, the Chinese leader also called on the BRICS members to oppose sovereignty violations and work in safeguarding peace across the global. Xi, who is on a two-day India visit, said no country should accept an interference in their internal affairs, and "constructively participate in resolving hotspot issues".
Xi also called on the BRICS to oppose "protectionism" in all forms. "We should support the multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization at its core and reject all forms of protectionism," he said, as cited by Xinhua.
The timing of Xi's dig at the US is critical, as the Chinese leader is all set to visit Washington in around two weeks. China and the US have long been trade rival, with Beijing openly criticising Washington over its conflict with Tehran.
However, the US under President Trump's leadership has justified striking Iran and maintained that the Islamic Republic would never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon. The Trump administration has also called on Tehran to open the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman through which nearly one-fifth of the world's total crude passes through.
However, Iran has maintained that Hormuz falls under its control and justified its nuclear programme, saying it is only for civilian use and warning the US against striking its nuclear facilities.
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