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Middle East
ChinaDiplomacy

Middle East: China’s special envoy vows to boost cooperation with UN amid violence in West Bank

  • Special envoy Zhai Jun meets UN undersecretary general for political and peacebuilding affairs, Rosemary DiCarlo, four days after talks with Arab diplomats
  • It came a day after Zhai spoke to Israeli ambassador to China, Irit Ben-Abba Vitale

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Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang meets UN under-secretary-general for political and peacebuilding affairs Rosemary DiCarlo in Beijing on April 11. Photo: Xinhua
Cyril Ip
Amid meetings with top diplomats, China’s Middle East envoy said the country would strengthen cooperation with the United Nations to resolve hotspot issues in the region as violence in the occupied West Bank intensifies.
China’s special envoy for Middle East affairs Zhai Jun met the UN undersecretary general for political and peacebuilding affairs, Rosemary DiCarlo, on Tuesday. The meeting came days after Zhai met Arab envoys and officials from the Arab League regarding the bloodshed that followed the storming of the Al-Aqsa mosque by Israeli forces on April 5.

The Israeli military has since bombed southern Lebanon and the Gaza Strip in response to a spate of rocket attacks.

03:48

Violence hits Al-Aqsa mosque after Israeli police raids, rocket fire exchanged at Gaza border

Violence hits Al-Aqsa mosque after Israeli police raids, rocket fire exchanged at Gaza border

According to a statement released by the Chinese foreign ministry, Zhai set forth China’s position and principles on relevant issues and emphasised its support for the strategic independence of regional states.

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“China is willing to continue strengthening communication and coordination with the UN in the Middle East, promote political solutions to regional hotspot issues, and jointly maintain regional peace and stability,” the statement said, adding that the UN also “looks forward” to cooperating with China.

It said DiCarlo had commended China’s “constructive role” in mediating critical issues, noting the “major achievements” of the Beijing-brokered peace agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia, which resumed diplomatic relations seven years after ties were severed.
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Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang said after the deal was signed that the international community expected Beijing to take a bigger role in resolving regional issues.

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