Xi talks with Putin over phone, focusing on Middle East situation

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin exchanged views with a focus on the situation in the Middle East during a phone conversation on Thursday.

In the phone call, Putin briefed on Russia's views on the current situation in the Middle East, saying that Israel's attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities are extremely dangerous, and that escalation of the conflict does not conform to the interests of either side. He said that the Iranian nuclear issue should be solved through dialogue and consultation, and that Israel and Iran should ensure the safety of citizens from any third country.

Noting the situation is still developing fast, Putin said Russia stands ready to maintain close communication with China, jointly make active efforts to deescalate the situation, and to safeguard peace and stability of the region.

Xi stated China's principled position in the phone conversation, saying that the current situation in the Middle East is very critical, which once again proves that the world has entered a new period of turbulence and transformation. Xi said further escalation will not only cause greater losses to the conflicting sides but also bring serious harm to countries in the region.

Xi made a four-point proposal for tackling the current situation.

First, Xi said, ceasefire is an urgent priority. The use of force is not the right way to resolve international disputes, as it will only intensify hatred and contradiction. Xi urged the conflicting parties, especially Israel, to cease fire as soon as possible, to prevent the situation from escalating repeatedly and to resolutely avoid the spillover of war.

Second, the Chinese president said, protecting civilians' safety is the top priority. At no time should the red line for protecting civilians in military conflicts be crossed, while indiscriminate use of force is unacceptable. The parties to the conflict should strictly abide by international law, resolutely avoid harming innocent civilians, and facilitate the evacuation of citizens from third countries, Xi said.

Third, Xi said, initiating dialogue and negotiation is the fundamental way out. Communication and dialogue are the correct paths to achieving lasting peace. The general direction of political settlement of the Iranian nuclear issue and efforts to bring the Iranian nuclear issue back to the track of political settlement through dialogue and negotiation should be steadfastly adhered to, he said.

And fourth, Xi said, international efforts for peace are indispensable. If the Middle East is unstable, the world can hardly be at peace, he explained. The Israeli-Iranian conflict has led to a sudden escalation of tensions in the Middle East, which has also dealt a severe blow to global security. The international community, especially the major powers that have a special influence on the parties involved in the conflict, should make efforts to cool down the situation instead of doing the opposite. The United Nations Security Council should play a greater role in this regard, said the Chinese president.

Xi emphasized that China stands ready to continue to strengthen communication and coordination with all parties, urging the pooling of efforts and the upholding of justice, so as to play a constructive role in restoring peace in the Middle East.

The two heads of state spoke highly of the political mutual trust and high-level strategic cooperation between China and Russia, and agreed to maintain close high-level exchanges, advance cooperation in various fields, and promote in-depth development of the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination.

Xi talks with Putin over phone, focusing on Middle East situation

Xi talks with Putin over phone, focusing on Middle East situation

Xi talks with Putin over phone, focusing on Middle East situation

Xi talks with Putin over phone, focusing on Middle East situation

Dense fog and icy conditions have forced the closure of major expressways in multiple provincial-level regions across China since Friday morning.

At 12:00 on Friday, traffic control measures, including closures, remained in effect on 16 sections of national and provincial trunk roads in Hebei, Henan, Shandong and Xinjiang. Among these, two sections had their mainlines closed, while toll stations on 14 sections were shut.

Starting from the early hours of Friday, multiple areas in Dezhou City of Shandong Province experienced dense fog, with Xiajin, Pingyuan and Yucheng reporting visibility less than 100 meters.

In parts of Xiajin, visibility dropped below 50 meters, prompting local meteorological authorities to issue a red alert for dense fog.

Affected by the fog, temporary control measures were implemented on some expressways within Dezhou, with multiple entrances closed. Traffic police strengthened presence at service areas, entrances and exits of expressways to ensure road safety.

So far, all expressway entrances and exits in Dezhou have resumed normal operation.

Many areas in Hebei also experienced dense fog, with visibility less than 200 meters in eastern Baoding, western Cangzhou, Xingtai, and eastern Handan in the province. Some localities even reported visibility below 50 meters.

Shortly after 6:00, the Hebei Provincial Meteorological Observatory issued an orange alert for dense fog.

From 23:00 on Thursday to Friday morning, over 10 key routes in Hebei, including the Beijing-Hong Kong-Macao, Beijing-Kunming, Daqing-Guangzhou, Tianjin-Shijiazhuang, and Qingdao-Lanzhou expressways, were affected by dense fog.

Expressway traffic police closed some toll stations along these expressways according to fog conditions, and activated traffic diversion points to divert vehicles.

By 10:00 Friday, as visibility improved, some toll stations resumed operation.

On expressway sections with insufficient visibility, traffic police used patrol cars to lead and control the speed of vehicles, guiding stranded traffic to pass through orderly and safely.

Additionally, due to snowfall and icy road surfaces, control measures were taken on 28 expressway sections in Inner Mongolia, Heilongjiang and Xinjiang. Among them, the mainlines of 14 sections were closed, while toll gates were shut on the other 14 ones.

The National Meteorological Center (NMC) issued a blue alert for snowfall on Friday morning, with parts of Inner Mongolia, Heilongjiang and Gansu expected to be hit by heavy snow.

Foggy, icy weather forces road closure across China