“If the Middle East is unstable, the world will not be at peace,” Chinese President Xi Jinping said Thursday. “If the conflict escalates further, not only will the conflicting parties suffer greater losses, but regional countries will also suffer greatly.”

The Chinese leader said his country opposes "any act that infringes upon the sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity of other countries."

Mystery transport planes from China to Iran detected on FlightRadar24 have sparked speculation about China supporting its ally as tensions escalate between Iran and Israel.