China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi with representatives from Muslim-majority nations at the Diaoyutai State Guest House in Beijing on November 20.
Published November 20, 2023
The world must “must act urgently” to stem the conflict in Gaza, China’s top diplomat said Monday during a meeting with officials from Arab and Muslim majority nations, as Beijing steps up its efforts to play a role in establishing ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi welcomed counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, the Palestinian National Authority, and Indonesia, as well as the head of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation for a two-day visit to the Chinese capital, the start of the delegation’s expected tour of several world capitals.
“The international community must act urgently, taking effective measures to prevent this tragedy from spreading. China firmly stands with justice and fairness in this conflict,” Wang told the visiting leaders in opening remarks ahead of talks, where he reiterated China’s call for an immediate ceasefire.
Visiting ministers voiced their own strong calls for an end to the conflict, with Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud saying: “The message is clear: the war must stop immediately, we must move to a ceasefire immediately, and relief materials and aid must enter immediately.”
Countries represented in the delegation hoped to cooperate with China and “all countries” that are “responsible and appreciate the seriousness of the situation,” he said.
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SOURCE: www.edition.cnn.com
RELATED: Arab leaders seek China’s support to force Gaza ceasefire
Published November 20, 2023
Arab and Muslim leaders are turning to China to try and increase pressure on the U.S. and Israel to agree to a formal ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, presenting Beijing with another opportunity to grow its diplomatic influence and presence in a region traditionally dominated by Washington.
The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, and the Palestinian Authority — all key U.S. allies or partners — are visiting Beijing Monday and Tuesday. Their goal: to build pressure outside the West to stop Israeli military operations and force renewed efforts to create an independent Palestinian state.
“We must strive to swiftly resolve this crisis and put an end to the war being waged against Gaza,” Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said on Saturday in Bahrain.
Earlier this year, Beijing surprised the Biden administration by successfully brokering a normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Efforts by China to support a ceasefire in Gaza, even if largely rhetorical, will be embraced by Mideast and Islamic countries, who have voiced growing opposition to U.S. support for Israel’s military campaign and accuse the Jewish state of committing war crimes.
“We will continue to work with all parties toward a cessation of fire, de-escalation of the conflict, humanitarian relief and ultimately, a lasting peace between Palestine and Israel through the two-state solution,” China’s embassy spokesman in Washington, Liu Pengyu, told Semafor on Sunday.
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SOURCE: www.semafor.com
RELATED: China, Arab world take aim at Israel, call for Gaza ceasefire
Published November 20, 2023
Delegates from several Islamic nations met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
Arab and Muslim ministers called on Monday for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, as their delegation visited Beijing on the first leg of a tour to push for an end to hostilities and to allow humanitarian aid into the devastated Palestinian enclave.
The delegation, which is set to meet officials representing each of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, is also piling pressure on the West to reject Israel’s justification of its actions against Palestinians as self-defense.
The officials holding meetings with China’s top diplomat Wang Yi on Monday are from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Indonesia, Palestine and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, among others.
“We are here to send a clear signal: that is we must immediately stop the fighting and the killings, we must immediately deliver humanitarian supplies to Gaza,” said Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud.
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SOURCE: www.m.jpost.com
