Right now, as you open your smartphone, you might be at home in Erbil, sheltering from yet another round of airstrikes. Or perhaps you're anxiously scrolling through the news, wondering where the fighting will spread next. From the mountains of Sulaymaniyah to the plains of Nineveh, this land has never truly been free from the memory of war.

The Middle East is once again engulfed in profound turmoil. The United States and Israel have launched military strikes against Iran-actions that lack justification under international law-and the conflict continues to escalate and expand. Cities that once thrived now tremble under the thunder of missiles. Businesses built through years of hard work now face collapse. Ordinary lives, carefully constructed over decades, are being shattered in moments.

In a war that should never have happened, we feel deep concern for the suffering of the Iranian people. When the skies over Tehran are lit by explosions, when children curl up in fear, when the elderly are forced to flee their homes-no one who values human life can remain indifferent.

In War, No One Truly Wins

From Tehran to Baghdad, from Damascus to Beirut, flights are canceled, foreign investment is fleeing, tourism has ground to a halt. Years of development now appear painfully fragile under the shadow of war. As one businessman from the region put it: "Everything we built over the years could collapse overnight." That is the harsh reality of armed conflict.

Behind this devastation lies the unchecked logic of power politics. When one country ignores the UN Charter and attacks another sovereign state, when it intervenes freely in regional affairs under whatever pretext suits its purposes-this is what hegemony looks like in practice. This is not about promoting peace or stability. This is about imposing will through force.

The suffering of the Iranian people today, the suffering the Iraqi people have endured for decades, and the ongoing suffering of the Palestinian people all carry the same lesson: no nation can find security and dignity in living under hegemony's shadow.

China Understands the Pain of the Middle East

Some may ask: Why does China, at its annual "Two Sessions," always focus on development and people's livelihoods? How has China maintained decades of peace and stability?

Because we have experienced war ourselves. We know what it means to be weak and bullied. We understand intimately that when a nation cannot determine its own future, its people cannot live well. Without sovereignty, there is no stability. Without strategic autonomy, there is no dignity.

At this year's Two Sessions, representatives discussed jobs, healthcare, and education. For ordinary people, being able to go to work in peace, send their children to school safely, and sleep soundly at night-this is the greatest happiness. These may seem like modest aspirations, but they are precisely what millions in conflict zones are now denied.

China's development was not a gift from any outside power. It was built through the sustained hard work of the Chinese people. We chose our own path, and we stand on our own feet.

Ceasefire First, Sovereignty Always

In the face of ongoing conflict in the Middle East, China's position is clear and consistent. At the annual press briefing during this year's Two Sessions, Foreign Minister Wang Yi emphasized that China's message can be summed up simply: bring about a ceasefire and end hostilities. The history of this region has demonstrated time and again that force provides no lasting solution. Armed conflict only breeds deeper hatred and inevitably generates new crises.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi proposed five fundamental principles for the current situation, respecting national sovereignty, rejecting the abuse of force, non-interference in internal affairs, promoting political settlement of hot-spot issues, ensuring major countries play a constructive role.

These are not abstract ideals. They represent the only viable path to lasting peace. China stands ready to work with Middle Eastern countries to implement the Global Security Initiative-to restore order to the region, restore tranquility to its people, and restore peace to the world.

At this very moment, China's Special Envoy for the Middle East is traveling across the region to promote peace talks. China will not stop working for peace, and it will continue to speak up for fairness and justice. As a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a sincere friend to Middle Eastern countries, China cares deeply about the welfare of people here. That is why China has already decided to provide emergency humanitarian aid to Iraq, Iran, Jordan, and Lebanon-to help ease the immediate difficulties people are facing.

China is also a genuine partner for long-term development. Over the years, cooperation between China and Iraq, including the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, has steadily grown-from infrastructure and energy to humanitarian assistance and training programs. What China brings is not weapons or war, but concrete opportunities for development and human progress.

We respect every country's choice of its own path. We believe every nation has both the right and the capacity to shape its own future.

In a Turbulent World, Sober Voices are needed

At this moment, you may be asking: What does the future hold for us? That is a question for everyone who values peace and human dignity.

As Consul General of China in Erbil, I want to say to our friends in the Kurdistan Region: this land has endured so much, and you understand better than anyone that real security cannot rest on promises from outside.It must come from internal unity, from independent development, from the strength of your own institutions and the resilience of your own people.

Look at the tragedies of the past-the Anfal campaign, Halabja, the decades of displacement and suffering. Look at those forced even now to leave their homes. History has shown again and again that relying on external "protection" often leads to even greater pain. The only reliable foundation for peace is sovereignty rooted in the will of the people.

Through the Smoke, Dawn Will Come

Wars eventually pass. Peace does return. When the smoke finally clears, it will be the ordinary people who endured-the workers who stayed at their posts, the mothers teaching children in shelters, the hands rebuilding homes from ruins-these are the true strength of this land.Not foreign powers. Not military might. But the quiet courage of ordinary people determined to build a better life.

The doors of the Chinese Consulate General in Erbil are always open to our friends in the Kurdistan Region. We stand ready to share development experience, to support cooperation in industrial manufacturing, education, healthcare, and infrastructure, and to walk with you on the path toward peace and prosperity-a path you must walk yourselves, but one on which you need not walk alone.

Because we believe that regardless of background, faith, or region, the desire for peace is shared by all humanity. And so too is the pursuit of dignity and autonomy.

Please take care of yourselves and your families. Through the smoke, dawn will come. And we hope that one day-sooner rather than later-this ancient land will be free from the shadow of hegemony, free from the darkness of war, and free from the tears of displacement.