(AP) — China’s Middle East envoy pinned the blame squarely on the U.S. and Israel for a war he said has dealt a heavy blow to the global economy and shipping lanes.
“We all know who started this war,” Zhai Jun told reporters in Beijing after a recent trip to Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait and Egypt.
Asked about the biggest obstacle to a ceasefire, he quoted a Chinese saying. “To untie a belt, the person who tied it is needed,” he said, repeating his government’s call for the U.S. and Israel to halt their military actions immediately and return to negotiations.
Zhai said the ongoing fighting made his delegation’s trip an unusual one, including witnessing missile interceptions above them. “We heard explosions and sirens for the first time in a real war, he said.
