Iran summons China envoy over controversial joint statement with GCC

Iran has summoned China’s ambassador after Beijing issued a joint controversial statement with the Gulf Corporation Council concerning three disputed islands, according to reports.

The statement released on Friday contained clauses relating to the negotiation of Iranian-governed islands in the Strait of Hormoz – including Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa - which the UAE consider to be its own, with Arab support.

The statement called for a "peaceful solution" to the issue of the islands - which have been governed by Tehran since 1971 - "through bilateral negotiations in accordance with the rules of international law", the Saudi Press Agency reported.

It was publicised following Chinese President Xi Jinping’s arrival in Saudi Arabia last week, which Beijing hailed as its biggest diplomatic initiative in the Arab world.

"[In a] meeting on Saturday between the Chinese ambassador and the Iranian foreign minister’s deputy for Asia-Pacific affairs… the Iranian side voiced strong dissatisfaction with the inclusion of the issue… in the statement," Iran’s ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Sunday.

The ambassador reportedly clarified that Chinese president Xi’s trip to Riyadh was in line with efforts to contribute to peace and stability in the region.

Iran’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian also voiced his disapproval of the joint Chinese-GCC statement.

"The three islands of Abu Musa, Lesser Tunb and Greater Tunb in the Persian Gulf are an integral part of Iran's territory and will always belong to her motherland," Amir-Abdollahian tweeted on Monday in Chinese.

"Iran will never compromise with any country on the importance of respecting the territorial integrity of the Islamic Republic of Iran," he added.

Tehran and Beijing, previously described as “like-minded” by the Iranian president, signed a 25-year strategic cooperation agreement last year, which entails economic, military and cybersecurity cooperation.

Earlier this year Amir-Abdollahian said the agreement entered its “implementation stage”.