Xi and Putin oppose US-Israel war on Iran

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin expressed their opposition to the US-Israeli war on Iran on Wednesday, while warning that restrictions on shipping imposed by "individual states" threatened global trade, in a veiled reference to Tehran, which has blocked shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. The US and Israeli strikes against Iran are illegal and seriously undermine stability in the Middle East, said a joint statement issued at the end of their day-long talks in Beijing. It also criticised US President Donald Trump's Golden Dome shield defence plan.
The implementation of the Golden Dome project – a multilayer missile defence system initiated by Trump - would have “serious negative consequences for international security”, according to the joint statement released by the Kremlin. Putin’s visit to Beijing followed days after Trump's tour here during which the Iran war, opening of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran dominated their talks.     Both China and Russia are strong strategic allies of Iran, sharing military and commercial ties while disregarding US sanctions on Tehran for its nuclear programme.
On the situation in the Gulf region in the Middle East, Xi said all hostilities must cease immediately, adding that an early end to the conflict would help ease disruptions to energy supplies, industrial and supply chains, and the international trade order. In a volatile international landscape, Russia-China cooperation serves as an important stabilizing factor, Putin said. During Putin's visit, China and Russia also issued a joint statement on advocating a multipolar world and new type of international relations.
Xi and Putin also signed and issued a joint statement on further strengthening comprehensive strategic coordination and deepening good-neighborliness and friendly cooperation. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun announced that China has decided to extend the visa-free policy for Russian citizens to Dec. 31, 2027, in a move to continuously facilitate personnel exchanges between the two countries.
The two leaders also agreed to further extend the China-Russia Treaty of Good-Neighbourliness and Friendly Cooperation, signed 25 years ago. Xi said the treaty had laid the institutional foundation for long-term friendship and comprehensive strategic coordination between the two countries, adding that bilateral ties had achieved leapfrog development since then. Ahead of the talks, Putin was accorded a ceremonial welcome by Xi.