China says war over Iran will bring disaster

A top Chinese diplomat said Tuesday war over the Iranian nuclear issue would bring disaster to the world economy and urged all nations involved to exercise restraint and prevent hostilities. The remarks by Chen Xiaodong, a top Chinese diplomat on Middle Eastern affairs, came as Iran’s showdown with the West slid closer to confrontation as alarm over its new uranium enrichment plant and Tehran’s death sentence for a “CIA spy” raised the stakes.
“We urge all relevant nations to remain calm, exercise restraint, refrain from taking actions that will intensify the situation and make common efforts to prevent war,” Chen said in an online interview with state media.
“Everyone knows that 40 percent of the oil shipped daily to every part of the world goes through the Strait of Hormuz, so once war starts in this region not only will the relevant nations be affected and attacked, it would also … bring disaster to a world economy deep in crisis.”