Meeting Arab Prince, Xi Jinping Delivers Important Message on Middle East War
Amid escalating conflict and global economic tensions, Chinese President Xi Jinping has emphasised the importance of upholding international law as the primary foundation for peace in the Middle East. The statement implicitly criticises the war involving the United States and Israel against Iran.
In a meeting with Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince, Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Xi stressed that the principle of the rule of law must not be applied selectively.
“The supremacy of law cannot be ‘used when beneficial and ignored when not’,” Xi stated, as quoted by the official Xinhua news agency on Tuesday (14/4/2026).
The remarks come amid rising tensions in the region, following failed talks between Washington and Tehran over the weekend that did not yield an agreement to end the war. Since the conflict erupted at the end of February, Iran has effectively closed the strategic Strait of Hormuz shipping route to vessels deemed from unfriendly countries.
The situation has intensified further as the US military initiated a blockade of Iranian ports on Monday, accusing Tehran of “economic terrorism”.
The impact has been immediately felt in global energy trade. Shipments of oil from Gulf countries, including the United Arab Emirates, through the Strait of Hormuz have reportedly plummeted sharply since the war began.
Moreover, Tehran has launched missile and drone attacks on energy infrastructure in neighbouring Gulf states, including the UAE. These disruptions have repercussions as far as Asia, with official data showing China’s natural gas imports in March dropping to the lowest level since October 2022.
Meanwhile, crude oil shipments to China have also fallen by 2.8 per cent, partly due to Chinese vessels being held up in the Strait of Hormuz.
Xi warned that the world must not revert to jungle law in resolving global conflicts. “We must not allow the world to return to jungle law,” he told Sheikh Khaled, who is also the eldest son of UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Although Beijing has repeatedly criticised the US-Israel military campaign as illegal, Xi has relatively rarely made direct public comments on the conflict.
He is scheduled to meet US President Donald Trump during a visit expected to take place in Beijing next month.