China warns ‘flames of war’ spreading and calls on U.S. to help manage differences ahead of Xi-Trump meeting

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping ahead of a bilateral meeting during his visit to China, in Beijing on January 29, 2026. (Carl Court/Reuters via CNN Newsource)

Beijing, Hong Kong — China’s top diplomat cast his country as a defender of peace and stability as war in Iran rages, while striking a conciliatory tone towards the United States ahead of a highly anticipated summit between the two nation’s leaders.

“This was a war that should never have happened, and a war that benefited no one,” Wang Yi, China’s foreign minister, said at a Sunday news briefing on the sidelines of the annual assembly of China’s rubber-stamp legislature.

Wang, touting China as “the world’s most important force of peace, stability and justice,” reiterated Beijing’s call for an immediate ceasefire to “prevent the situation from escalating and avoid the spillover and spread of the flames of war.”

“All parties should return to the negotiating table as soon as possible and resolve their differences through equal dialogue,” he added.

China’s growing concern about the war with Iran comes as its top leader Xi Jinping prepares to host US President Donald Trump in Beijing for crucial talks between the world’s two largest economies toward the end of this month. The summit is expected to address a wide range of key issues, from trade frictions to Taiwan.

Adding a new layer of complication to the impending talks is now a rapidly escalating war in the Middle East.

Iran’s leaders have long had close relations with Beijing. China – like many other nations – has looked on with alarm at the killing of Iran’s leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as well as the spike in oil prices and hit to the global economy sparked by the escalating conflict.

More than a week after the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran, the war has shown no signs of abating. Trump said on Friday that there would be no deal with Iran except “unconditional surrender,” without elaborating on specific demands.

Beijing has seized the moment to project an image of a reliable and responsible superpower – in a sharp contrast to the US, which has injected uncertainties into the world through new wars, the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, and the launch of a global trade war against close allies and China.

Beijing has provided “the most precious source of stability and certainty for a turbulent world, becoming an irreplaceable anchor amid global chaos,” Wang argued on Sunday.

At the same time, however, Wang called for continued engagement with Washington to address key differences, as he signaled his welcome for the upcoming summit between Xi and Trump. He said the two nations’ leaders have set an example in helping the bilateral relationship achieve overall stability despite turbulence.

“What is needed now is for both sides to make thorough preparations, foster a conducive environment, manage existing differences, and eliminate unnecessary interference,” Wang said Sunday, in response to a question by CNN’s Steven Jiang.

“China and the United States are both major powers, and neither can change the other — but we can change the way we interact,” he added, urging the US to move in the same direction.

A confident China

At the same venue last year – shortly after Trump fired the first tariff salvo against China of his new administration, Wang warned the US against a “two-faced approach” in its relations with China, emphasizing that Beijing “resolutely opposes power politics and hegemony.”

If the message last year was of warning amid uncertainties, the one this year was marked by confidence. China has largely weathered Trump’s tariff attacks and validated its hardball strategy – while elevating its global standing as the American president triggers upheaval around the world.

A parade of traditionally close US allies, from French President Emmanuel Macron to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, have visited China over the last few months – in a sign of Beijing’s successful effort in courting them. Wang made a nod to that development.

“We have noted that an increasing number of insightful figures in Europe recognize that China is not a competitor, but a global partner,” he said, while urging more cooperation and trade between the two blocs.

The Chinese Foreign Minister also appeared to respond to Trump’s attempt to position his Board of Peace as an alternative to the United Nations, vowing to champion multilateralism and protect the global organization.

“Attempts to bypass the UN and start anew, to pursue a separate system, or to cobble together small blocs and exclusive circles gain no support and are unsustainable,” Wang said.

Wang’s press conference, however, did not address many of the issues that have rattled other countries and China’s neighbors at a time of growing tensions in the Indo-Pacific region.

China has flooded the global market with its exports and weaponized its dominance in the production of rare earths, risking major disruption to the global supply chain. It has also stepped up military pressure against Taiwan as well as naval confrontations with the Philippines and Japan

Wang also made no mention of Ukraine, now in its fifth year of war with Moscow, while stressing China’s relation with Russia is “unmoved by wind and rain, as stable as a mountain.”

Since Moscow launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Beijing has refused to criticize Russia and has remained its key partner, acting as a crucial economic and diplomatic lifeline.

“China and Russia share a high level of political mutual trust. Standing back‑to‑back is a defining feature of the China–Russia relationship. we are not afraid of any external provocation or pressure,” Wang said.

John Liu, CNN