China’s Foreign Minister Warns Against Opening ‘Pandora's Box’ in Middle East

(Bloomberg) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi warned against opening a ‘Pandora’s box’ in the Middle East, saying it was important to protect the legal rights of all parties in the region.

"We call on all sides to maintain rationality and restraint, not engage in actions that would increase tensions, and not to open Pandora’s box," Wang said at a briefing in Beijing with Syrian counterpart Walid al-Muallem, amid increasing tensions between the U.S. and Iran in the Persian Gulf. "The U.S., especially, should change its practice of exerting maximum pressure. All unilateral actions do not have a basis in international law, will not solve problems, but will instead create a bigger crisis."

Wang also urged a faster political resolution to Syria’s long-running conflict.

Muallem said the international community has a responsibility to rebuild Syria, which has been devastated by years of fighting. He also said U.S. unilateral actions to Syria -- including economic actions -- are harmful and that the American and Turkish militaries should exit the country.

His comments came days after the Trump administration sanctioned Syrian businessman Samer Foz, who it says has built luxury developments on land seized by the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, and accusing him of profiting from the war.

--With assistance from Dandan Li.

To contact Bloomberg News staff for this story: Lucille Liu in Beijing at xliu621@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Brendan Scott at bscott66@bloomberg.net, James Mayger, Karen Leigh

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With assistance from Bloomberg