ISTANBUL

China’s foreign minister on Sunday warned against seeking regime change in Iran amid the ongoing US-Israel offensive, saying that any such move lacks public support.

"Plotting a ‘color’ revolution or seeking regime change will find no popular support," Wang Yi Wang told an annual news conference on the sidelines of an important annual gathering in Beijing, state-run Xinhua News reported.

Wang also called for the sovereignty of Iran and all countries to be respected, and demanded an "immediate stop to military operations" in the Middle East to prevent an escalation and avoid a spillover of the conflict.

"This is a war that should not have happened, and it is a war that does no one any good," Wang said. "Force provides no solution, and armed conflict will only increase hatred and breed new crises.”

The people of the Middle East are the true master of this region, and Middle Eastern affairs should be determined by regional countries independently, he said, urging non-interference in internal affairs.

In line with this assessment, according to a classified US National Intelligence Council report, even a large-scale US military offensive would be unlikely to overthrow Iran’s military and clerical power structure

The report – published Saturday by The Washington Post, citing three sources familiar with the classified document – undercuts US President Donald Trump’s assertion that he could “clean out” Iran’s leadership and install a preferred successor, indicating that such an outcome would be far from certain.

Wang urged "all sides" to return to the negotiating table "as quickly as possible," resolve differences through dialogue, and work to realize common security.

China, he added, stands ready to work with Middle Eastern countries to "restore order to the Middle East, calm to its people, and peace to the world."

Palestine, the US, Russia, India, and Japan

Turning to another conflict, Wang said a two-state solution is the only "equitable and widely recognized" way to solve the Palestinian question.

"Turmoil and war need not be the fate of the Palestinian people,” he stressed.

He said China, as a responsible major country, will continue to support Palestine's "just cause of pursuing legitimate national rights and facilitate international efforts to restore justice to the Palestinian people."

Calling for a "multipolar coexistence," Wang said China and the US should uphold mutual respect and the bottom line of peaceful coexistence as well as strive for "win-win" cooperation.

"This year is indeed a big year for China-US relations," Wang said. "The agenda of high-level exchanges is already on the table. What the two sides need to do now is to create a suitable environment, manage the differences that do exist, and remove unnecessary disruptions.”

"2026 can be a landmark year of sound, steady, and sustainable development of China-US relations," he added.

China-Russia relations remain "as steady as a rock" despite the “test of winds and rains," Wang said.

About ties with longtime rival India, he said that mutual trust, and cooperation between the two countries will benefit their common development, as division and confrontation are detrimental to "Asian rejuvenation."

The future of China-Japan relations hinges on Tokyo's "choice," he said, speaking after remarks last year by Japan’s premier faced a backlash from China.

"Neighbors helping neighbors and building an amicable neighborhood is part of Chinese tradition and culture," Wang added.

"China will work toward the goal of translating the vision and blueprint for building an Asia-Pacific community into actions and reality," he said.

Strengthening the system of safety protection for Chinese nationals and interests overseas is the unremitting pursuit of the Chinese foreign service in the new era, he added.

Taiwan and Global Governance Initiative

Wang said Taiwan is at the core of China's foreign policy – a red line that must not be crossed.

No individual or force will be allowed to separate Taiwan from China, he added.

Wang described resolving the Taiwan question and realizing the complete reunification of China as a historic process that "cannot be stopped."

He said the Global Governance Initiative proposed by China could not be more timely, adding that it quickly got support and responses from more than 150 countries and international organizations.

Wang said the clearest signal from the initiative is that the leading status of the UN must be upheld and not challenged.

"Without the UN, the world would be worse," he said, adding that creating parallel structures outside the UN or putting together various exclusive blocs and circles is "unpopular and unsustainable."