China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned on Monday that the Middle East could "fall into chaos" if the war with Iran escalates. Spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Lin Jian, in response to a journalist's question about the deadline set by US President Donald Trump for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, said: "If the conflict continues to widen and the situation escalates again, the entire region could fall into chaos. Force will only lead to a vicious cycle." On Saturday, Trump threatened to "wipe out" Iranian power plants if the Strait of Hormuz is not fully reopened within 48 hours. However, on Monday, Trump extended the deadline, saying he would postpone any military strikes on Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure for five days after "fruitful talks" with Iran. China's special envoy to the Middle East, Chai Jun, warned of unpredictable consequences from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz following a recent visit to the region and talks with Arab countries. He stated that China gets about half of its energy supplies from the region. The Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin said the situation "dealt a blow to global energy and trade security." He called on the parties involved in the conflict to "immediately cease military operations to prevent further impact of regional turmoil on global economic growth," adding that China is in contact with the parties to de-escalate the situation.
