On the afternoon of June 19, 2025, President Xi Jinping had a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin exchanged views on the situation in the Middle East.

Vladimir Putin briefed on Russia's views on the current situation in the Middle East, saying that Israel's attack on Iran's nuclear facilities is extremely dangerous, and that the escalation of the conflict is not in the interest of any party. The Iranian nuclear issue should be resolved through dialogue and negotiation. Both parties to the conflict should ensure the safety of third-country nationals. As the situation is still evolving rapidly, Russia is willing to maintain close communication with China and make active efforts to cool down the situation, so as to safeguard regional peace and stability.

Xi Jinping elaborated on China's principled position, stating that the current situation in the Middle East is highly perilous and once again proves that the world is entering a new period of turbulence and transformation. If the conflict continues to escalate, not only will both parties to the conflict suffer greater losses, but countries across the region will also be severely affected. In response to the current situation, Xi Jinping made four proposals.

First, promoting a ceasefire and ending the hostilities is an urgent priority. The use of force is not the right way to resolve international disputes; it will only exacerbate hatred and conflicts. The parties to the conflict, particularly Israel, should cease fire as soon as possible to prevent a spiral escalation of the situation and resolutely avoid the spillover of war.

Second, ensuring the safety of civilians is of paramount importance. The red line of protecting civilians in armed conflicts must not be crossed at any time, and the indiscriminate use of force is unacceptable. The parties to the conflict must strictly abide by international law, resolutely avoid harming innocent civilians, and facilitate the evacuation of third-country nationals.

Third, opening dialogue and negotiation is the fundamental way forward. Communication and dialogue are the right ways to achieve lasting peace. The political settlement of the Iranian nuclear issue must be firmly upheld, and efforts should be made to bring the Iranian nuclear issue back onto the track of political solution through dialogue and negotiation.

Fourth, efforts by the international community to promote peace are indispensable. Without stability in the Middle East, there can hardly be peace in the world. The conflict between Israel and Iran has led to a sudden escalation of tensions in the Middle East and wreaked havoc on global stability. The international community, particularly major countries that have special influence on the parties to the conflict, should make efforts to deescalate the situation, rather than the opposite. The United Nations Security Council should play a greater role in this regard.

Xi Jinping stressed that China is ready to to strengthen communication and coordination with all relevant parties, foster synergy, uphold justice, and 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 coordination between China and Russia. They agreed to maintain close high-level exchanges, advance cooperation in various fields, and promote the further development of the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination.