China calls for end to Iran war to avert further shocks to global economy: spokesman

China urges an end to tensions in the Middle East and restoration of safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz,a vital chokepoint for global energy supplies, to avert further shocks to the global economy, said foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun on Wednesday.

His warning comes amid mounting concerns over the economic fallout, with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) already revising down global growth projections.

The IMF lowered its global economic growth forecasts for 2026 to 3.1 percent in the World Economic Outlook report published on Tuesday. Before the outbreak of the Middle East conflict, the bottom-up forecasts for global growth would have been 3.4 percent in 2026.

Speaking at a regular press briefing in Beijing, Guo said the conflict's spillover effects were already dragging down global growth and deepening humanitarian risks.

"The IMF report again proves that the war has caused not only heavy casualties and losses but also severe spillover, hampering global economic growth and the improvement of people's wellbeing. It is a war that should not have happened. Nor should the international community, the least developed countries in particular, bear the brunt. The pressing priority is to prevent by all means a relapse in fighting, resume traffic via the Strait of Hormuz and restore peace and stability to the Gulf as soon as possible so as to prevent the war from causing greater impact on the global economy and energy security or even a humanitarian crisis," Guo said.

The conflict escalated in late February when Israel and the United States carried out joint strikes on Iranian cities, prompting Tehran to retaliate with missile and drone attacks and restrictions on Hormuz traffic. A two‑week ceasefire took effect on April 8 but collapsed after talks in Islamabad ended without a deal, leading the U.S. to impose a naval blockade of the strait this week, deploying more than 15 warships to intercept vessels bound for Iranian ports.

China calls for end to Iran war to avert further shocks to global economy: spokesman

A Russian navy fleet consisting of Navy corvettes Sovershennyy and Rezkiy, and the medium-sized oil tanker Pechenga arrived in Zhanjiang City of south China's Guangdong Province on Wednesday for a goodwill visit.

The Russian fleet, flying the flags of both Russia and China, docked on Wednesday morning at a military port in Zhanjiang, where the Chinese side held a welcome ceremony.

During the visit, Chinese and Russian officers and soldiers will tour each other's ships, attend receptions, participate in professional exchanges, and compete in sporting events.

The visiting vessels belong to the Russian Pacific Fleet and had all previously participated in cooperation and exchange activities between the two Navies.

The Chinese vessel participated in the exchange, Chenzhou, is a home-grown guided-missile frigate, with strong early warning and detection capabilities as well as comprehensive combat capabilities in multiple aspects, including shore bombardment, anti-ship, anti-aircraft and anti-submarine warfare. Since its commissioning, it has participated in and successfully completed a number of major drills and military exercises.

"I hope that in the following days of the event, we can deepen friendship and engage in professional and technical discussions with our Russian counterparts, and showcase the excellent image of the Chinese Navy," said Zhang Wenxuan, a Chinese Navy sub-lieutenant on Frigate Chenzhou.

The visit is part of routine goodwill exchanges between the two Navies, aimed at further enhancing mutual trust and practical cooperation, which is neither targeted at any third party nor linked to the current international and regional situation.

Russian Navy fleet visits south China's port city