Israel-Hamas war: China to ‘soon’ send special envoy on Middle East de-escalation mission, top diplomat Wang Yi says
- China stands on the side of ‘shared aspirations of the majority of countries’ on Palestine issue, Foreign Minister and top diplomat Wang Yi says
- ‘We agreed that the only stable solution is the two-state solution’, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell tells reporters after talks with Wang in Beijing
Wang, the foreign affairs chief of China’s ruling Communist Party, said Beijing will continue to stand on the side of “the shared aspirations of the majority of countries” on the question of Palestine.
Further, China calls for convening a more operative, influential and broad-based international peace conference under the auspices of the United Nations as quickly as possible, Wang told a press conference in Beijing.
“The special envoy of the Chinese government on the Middle East issue will soon visit relevant countries in the region to make active efforts for the cessation of violence and the de-escalation of the situation.”
The remarks from Wang, who is also the foreign minister of China, came during a joint press conference with European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell after they co-chaired the first high-level EU-China Strategic Dialogue in two years.
This comes amid a flurry of diplomatic efforts by Beijing to de-escalate the crisis after a surprise attack on southern Israel by Hamas militants on Saturday prompted Tel Aviv to declare a state of war.
Beijing is under growing international pressure as it has refrained from condemning Hamas directly, though it has expressed sorrow at civilian loss of life.
More than 3,100 people have reportedly been killed on both sides so far.
“China condemns all acts that harm civilians and opposes any violation of international law,” Wang said, adding that Beijing believes the “pressing task” is to stop the fighting as soon as possible.
He delivered a similar message in a phone conversation on Thursday with Celso Luiz Nunes Amorim, chief adviser to Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
“Israel has a right to statehood, so does Palestine. Israelis have obtained the safeguard for their survival, but who will care about the survival of the Palestinians?” Wang said.
“Injustice for Palestine has lasted for over half a century, and the sufferings that played out over generations must not continue,” he added.
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Wang also reiterated Beijing’s support for the two-state solution, saying that only when it is fully implemented can the Middle East be able to enjoy lasting peace and Israel have more lasting security.
Wang said he and Borrell had had “in-depth” exchanges on the Israeli-Palestinian crisis.
“We agreed that the only stable solution is the two-state solution,” Borrell told reporters, as he reaffirmed the bloc’s condemnation of the Hamas attack.
“Israel has the right to defend itself in the face of this aggression, but it has to be done in line with international humanitarian law,” Borrell, who is also vice-president of the European Commission, said.
He was citing a position shared by the foreign ministers of the EU member states at an emergency meeting earlier this week.
However, he said Israel’s warning on Friday for more than a million Palestinians in northern Gaza to relocate to the enclave’s south within 24 hours was “utterly unrealistic”.
“Yes, it’s a good warning. But the warning has to be realistic in order to avoid devastating humanitarian consequences.”
