China Casts Itself as Asia’s Anchor as Iran War Roils Economies

China’s No. 3 leader Zhao Leji called for the political settlement of international disputes, positioning Beijing as a stabilizing force at a regional forum as the continuing conflict in Iran threatens to upend the global economy.

“We should reject conflict and confrontation,” Zhao, the ruling Communist Party’s third-ranking official, said at a keynote speech to the annual Boao Forum on Thursday attended by Asian leaders and global diplomats. Governments should “promote political settlement of disagreements and differences through peaceful means,” he said.