BEIJING, June 5 (APP):: A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson on Monday said that upholding the peace and stability of the Gulf region in the Middle East bears on the well-being of countries and the people in the region is of vital importance to safeguarding world peace, boosting global economic growth while keeping energy supply stable.
“China supports regional countries in resolving disputes and cultivating good-neighborliness and friendship through dialogue and consultation,” Wang Wenbin said during his regular briefing while commenting on Iran and other Gulf states plan to form a naval alliance.
The spokesperson said that the Chinese side also supports regional countries in seeking development through solidarity and keeping their future firmly in their own hands.
“As a good friend to regional countries, China will continue to play a positive and constructive role in promoting regional peace and stability,” he added.
As per Iranian media reports, Iran’s navy commander said his country and Saudi Arabia, as well as three other Gulf states, plan to form a naval alliance that will also include India and Pakistan.
“The countries of the region have today realized that only cooperation with each other brings security to the area,” Iran’s navy commander Shahram Irani was quoted as saying.
He did not elaborate on the shape of the alliance that he said would be formed soon.
Iran has recently been trying to mend its strained ties with several Gulf states.
In March, Saudi Arabia and Iran ended seven years of hostility under a China-mediated deal, stressing the need for regional stability and economic cooperation.
Naval commander Irani said the states that will take part in the alliance also include the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Qatar, Iraq, Pakistan, and India.