A Chinese envoy on Thursday urged the United States to renounce the use or threated use of force in pursuing a political settlement of the Iranian nuclear issue through diplomacy.
Repeated hostilities in the Middle East have caused serious harm and losses to the peoples of countries in the region, including Iran, while the spillover effects continue to expand, undermining common interests of the international community, said Sun Lei, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations.
The parties concerned should renounce the use or threatened use of force, resume implementation of the U.S.-Iran Memorandum of Understanding as soon as possible, and bring the Iranian nuclear issue back onto the track of a political and diplomatic solution, he said at a U.N. Security Council briefing on the issue.
"The United States' unilateral withdrawal from the comprehensive Iranian nuclear agreement, its use of force against Iran twice during the negotiation process, and its push for the policy of exerting maximum pressure on Iran are the main causes why the current situation in the Middle East and the Iranian nuclear issue remain complex and difficult to resolve. The parties concerned can not put the cart before the horse. The United States should make a clear commitment not to use force again, engage in sincere negotiations with Iran, and ensure effective implementation of any future agreement," Sun said.
China has always stood on the side of peace, on the side of dialogue, and on the right side of history. As a participant in the Iran nuclear deal and a permanent member of the Security Council, China will continue to work with all other parties and make unremitting efforts to advance a political settlement of the Iranian nuclear issue, uphold the international nuclear non-proliferation regime, and promote peace and stability in the Middle East, according to the Chinese envoy.
China urges U.S. not to resort to force in political settlement of Iranian nuclear issue
As the lingering U.S.-Iran conflict over the Strait of Hormuz disrupts global oil and gas supply, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum's energy ministers met in Beijing Thursday to chart a way forward, on whether the region can turn the crisis into opportunities.
The disruption of the Strait of Hormuz since late February 2026 has caused the largest oil supply shock on record, with ongoing daily shortfalls in the multi-million-barrel range. This energy supply shock has exposed the structural vulnerabilities of the Asia-Pacific region, the world's largest energy-consuming area.
As the APEC host this year, China has taken an open and inclusive approach, creating a multilateral dialogue platform. At the current energy ministerial meeting, it is pushing for a full exchange of practical experience among economies and channeling shared wisdom into real cooperative results.
"Since the beginning of this year, navigation through the Strait of Hormuz has been disrupted. China has fully leveraged its energy production, supply and marketing system, actively strengthened cooperation with all other parties, and made important contributions to safeguarding global energy security," said Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang in addressing the meeting.
The APEC Energy Ministerial Meeting, returning to Beijing after a 12-year hiatus, took place at a critical juncture following this "stress test."
"From our end in Papua New Guinea, we face the impacts of the war in Iran. We are an import-based economy. It did affect us in a great way," said Conrad Kumul, a delegate from Papua New Guinea, on the sidelines of the meeting.
Yet, many see that crises can also serve as catalysts for energy transition.
"The idea now is to push very much forward with the energy transition, even more than before. Now actually, the oil prices are so high that the comparatively renewable energies are very low in price," said Steivan Defilla, president assistant of the APEC Sustainable Energy Center, a high-level international energy think tank led by China's National Energy Administration.
China will hold the 33rd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, in November, which marks the country's third time hosting the event following Shanghai in 2001 and Beijing in 2014.
APEC ministers explore new pathways for energy security amid Hormuz crisis
