China is expected to play an “active” role in trying to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, but analysts warned there may be limits to what it could achieve.

The two countriestraded strikes for a fifth straight day on Tuesday, as China warned its citizens to leave both countries as “soon as possible” because of the “severe” security situation.

President Xi Jinping, speaking during a visit to Kazakhstan for a summit with Central Asian countries, called on all parties to work to de-escalate the conflict as soon as possible, saying: “China stands ready to work with all parties to play a constructive role in restoring peace and stability in the Middle East.”

Over the weekend, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke to his Iranian and Israeli counterparts, Abbas Araghchi and Gideon Saar.

He condemned Israel’s attack as an “unacceptable” breach of international law but also said Beijing was ready to play a “constructive” role in helping the two sides resolve their differences.

The Beijing-backed security group the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation – which Tehran joined as a full member in 2023 – has also “strongly condemned” Israel’s strikes on Iran and called for a settlement “exclusively through peaceful, political and diplomatic means”.