China evacuates citizens from Iran and Israel, urges ceasefire
PHOTO CAPTION: Illustrative photo — A missile launched from Iran towards Israel is seen from Ramallah, Israeli-occupied West Bank, June 16. REUTERS/Mohamad Torokman
By Ethan Wang and Liz Lee
BEIJING - China has begun evacuating its citizens from Israel and Iran and was pushing for a ceasefire in the conflict between the two Middle Eastern foes on Tuesday as clashes carried into a fifth day.
China's foreign ministry said embassies and consulates have been offering assistance to those seeking to evacuate since the outbreak of fighting, though it did not offer details on what efforts were being carried out.
Chinese authorities, meanwhile, were in communication with Iran, Israel and various parties to promote a ceasefire, foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told a regular press briefing on Tuesday.
"China calls on all relevant parties, especially those countries that have a special influence on Israel, to shoulder their due responsibilities, take immediate measures to cool down the tense situation and prevent the conflict from escalating and spreading," Guo said, without naming any countries.
Chinese embassies in Israel and Iran have issued multiple advisories in recent days for Chinese citizens to step up safety precautions and closely follow developments.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Chinese embassy in Israel urged Chinese citizens to return to China or leave the country via land border crossings as soon as possible, warning that the security situation has worsened.
It said many had contacted the embassy asking about the resumption of airport operations and Hainan Airlines flights.
But Israeli airspace remained closed, and the Israeli government has extended a national state of emergency until June 30, the embassy explained.
The notice listed several land crossing points but recommended Chinese citizens leave via Jordan.
"At present, the Israeli-Iranian conflict continues to escalate, with civilian facilities damaged and civilian casualties increasing, making the security situation even more severe," the embassy warned in a notice on WeChat.
The Chinese embassy in Iran issued a similar evacuation notice on its official WeChat account later on Tuesday.
Iran's airspace is still closed, and there are risks that Iran's land border crossings will also be closed in the near future, the embassy said.
The notice listed border points for people to enter Turkey, Armenia and Turkmenistan, with travel distances from Tehran ranging from 760 to 910 km (472 to 565 miles).
China has repeatedly urged both regional foes to put a stop to the escalation of the conflict and calm the situation.
Tehran has asked Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Oman to press U.S. President Donald Trump to use his influence on Israel to agree to an immediate ceasefire with Iran in return for Iranian flexibility in nuclear negotiations, sources have told Reuters.
(Reporting by Ethan Wang, Liz Lee and Yukun Zhang; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and Joe Bavier // REUTERS)
