The military strikes by the United States and Israel against Iran have wreaked havoc not only in Iran, but also in Lebanon and some Gulf states that host US military bases.

The conflict has caused a global energy crisis, particularly in Asia and Europe.

The economic ramifications are dismal. The International Monetary Fund has cut its global growth outlook for 2026 to 3.1 percent, down from its January forecast of 3.3 percent.

It has warned that the outlook could deteriorate further if the war continues.

The war has also raised serious concerns that the US and Israel violated the United Nations Charter and international law. Many countries, including some US allies in Europe, have called for safeguarding the international order built after the end of World War II.

Unfortunately, instead of focusing on these critical issues and calling for an end to the illegal war, Western politicians and news media outlets are speculating whether the war is a strategic victory or defeat for China.

US Senator Rick Scott told Semafor that he thought blocking the Strait of Hormuz was fine. "If no oil ever goes to China again, and their economy is destroyed, that would be a really wonderful day for me," he said.

Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Fox News that Operation Epic Fury has been enormously detrimental to China and Russia's long-term interests and influence in the Middle East.

Former US ambassador to China Nicholas Burns also slandered China in a similar fashion at a recent event.

But Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning singled him out, saying that Burns tried to frame China while evading the root cause, used the US' hegemonic logic to attack and distort China's just position for peace, and sought to sow discord between China and other countries. Mao described Burns' motive as "simply nefarious".

Pompeo and Burns should instead focus on the huge damage to the US image due to the war. That is especially true in the Gulf states caught in the crossfire.

The US military bases there were supposed to protect them but ended up damaging their economic prosperity.

The Middle East is indeed an important source of energy for China, but it constitutes only a small portion of its total energy mix, which also includes nuclear, coal and renewable energy.

Many analysts believe that China's big oil stockpiles, diversified strategy and reduced fossil fuel demand mean that it is better insulated against supply shocks, compared with other economies.

While some hope the war will hurt China, others believe that China is the winner due to the strategic blunder by the US.

A cover story in The Economist magazine claims that China believes in "never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake".

There is a Chinese saying for The Economist writers: do not assume others are as low-minded as you. Unlike some US politicians, China does not see the US as its enemy. From day one, it warned the US and Israel not to attack Iran.

After the attack, it consistently called for an immediate ceasefire, de-escalation and a diplomatic solution.

China played a key role in bringing the US and Iran to the negotiating table in Islamabad. The talks, brokered by Pakistan, are expected to resume later this week.

While meeting Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, in Beijing on Tuesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed China's principled position of promoting peace and facilitating talks, and reiterated China's readiness to continue playing a constructive role in this regard.

In the past, China opposed the US invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, its war in Iraq in 2003 and NATO's disastrous war and regime change in Libya in 2011.

Had they heeded China's advice, they could have saved trillions of dollars and countless innocent lives and avoided the strategic blunders they still regret today.

Those who think China wants the US to get bogged down in another Middle East war simply do not understand the Chinese mindset. China wants peace and stability. As the largest trade partner for some 130 countries, peace and stability serve its best interests.

That is true for most countries, except a few. China's track record of not getting involved in any war for the past several decades is the best proof of its yearning for peace.

The disruptive behavior of the US has made more people realize that China is a source of global stability.

Even US conservative commentator David Frum, the speechwriter for former President George W. Bush, lamented on X this week that every country in Asia is thinking that "unlike Trump's USA, China has never cut off their energy supply. Maybe they are a more reliable and responsible partner for our future security. At least they are predictable".

Wars, conflicts and instability, such as we are witnessing in the Middle East, are a defeat and disaster for all decent human beings. Those who think otherwise have simply lost their human conscience.

The author is a China Daily columnist.

chenweihua@chinadaily.com.cn