What’s behind China’s careful response to its ally Iran after US-Israel strikes?

The joint US-Israel strikes on Iran, which have plunged the Middle East into deeper turmoil, have received qualified support from some countries and condemnation from others.China – which confirmed the death of one Chinese national in Iran and the evacuation of its 3,000 citizens from the country – partnered with Russia on Saturday to hold an emergency session of the UN Security Council and condemned the military action.05:20US-Israeli strikes intensify in Iran as Trump warns of more casualtiesUS-Israeli strikes intensify in Iran as Trump warns of more casualtiesIn a call on Monday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, China’s top diplomat Wang Yi denounced the strikes and the killing of Iran’s Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as “unacceptable”.“The international community should send a clear and unambiguous message against the world reverting to the law of the jungle,” he said.But apart from that, Beijing – which holds a comprehensive strategic partnership with Tehran – has stopped short of offering concrete help, just as it did when Israel launched attacks on Iran’s military and nuclear sites in June last year.Why such a restrained response?Beijing’s reaction has aligned with its long-standing playbook of offering diplomatic backing while avoiding direct military engagement, as it also did when Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro was abducted by the US in January.