![\"China](\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-128944215,imgsize-98340,width-400,resizemode-4\/china-reacts-to-iran-tensions.jpg\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\nChina on Monday called for an immediate ceasefire between the United States, Israel and Iran, warning that the escalating conflict could spread across the neighbouring countries after Iran\u2019s retaliation against US bases in the Gulf region.\u201cThe most urgent task is an immediate cessation of military operations and preventing a spread and spillover of conflict,\u201d foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a news conference, urging \u201ca resolution through dialogue and negotiation.\u201dBeijing confirmed that one Chinese national was killed in Tehran during the US strike that killed Iran\u2019s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Mao said the foreign ministry, along with the Chinese embassy in Iran, was providing necessary assistance to the individual\u2019s family, without revealing personal details.Ramping up its evacuation efforts, China has advised its citizens in Iran to leave \u201cas soon as possible,\u201d listing four land routes \u2014 to Azerbaijan, Armenia, Turkey, and Iraq.More than 3,000 Chinese nationals have already left Iran, while Chinese citizens in Israel were urged to move to safer areas or cross into Egypt via the Taba border.China condemned the US-led military strikes as violations of international law, stating they were \u201cnot authorised by the United Nations Security Council.\u201d Beijing also called for an emergency session of the Security Council, asserting that the \u201csovereignty, security, and territorial integrity of all Gulf countries should also be fully respected.\u201dChina\u2019s foreign minister Wang Yi, in a phone conversation with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on Sunday, also pressed for calm amid the worsening crisis.The “blatant killing of a sovereign leader and the incitement of regime change were unacceptable,” Wang said, calling for an “immediate ceasefire and resumption of talks to avoid a wider regional conflict.”China\u2019s state-run Xinhua news agency went further in its commentary, calling the attack \u201cbrazen aggression against a sovereign nation\u201d and \u201cpower politics and hegemony.\u201d It said Washington\u2019s actions were a \u201cflagrant violation of the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter and a departure from fundamental norms of international relations.\u201dIn its Monday statement, Beijing reiterated its \u201cdeep concern over the spillover effects of the conflict affecting neighbouring countries.\u201dThe foreign ministry also warned Chinese nationals against travelling to the region as reports emerged of injuries and stranded citizens.The ongoing conflict has triggered widespread flight disruptions across the Middle East.Despite rising tensions, Mao confirmed that communication between Beijing and Washington remains active ahead of US President Donald Trump\u2019s planned visit to China from March 31 to April 2, saying both sides were \u201cmaintaining communication regarding the interactions between the leaders of the two countries.\u201d<\/div>\n\n