Israel-Gaza war: China’s top diplomat Wang Yi calls for ‘major countries’ to be fair and impartial
- Foreign Minister Wang Yi also says ceasefire is top priority, in call with US secretary of state
- Antony Blinken ‘reiterated the imperative of all parties working to prevent the conflict from spreading’
In a telephone call with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Wang renewed calls for a two-state solution, saying any arrangement concerning the future of Palestine “must reflect the will of the Palestinian people”.
“The top priority is to cease fire and to stop the war as soon as possible,” Wang said, according to a Chinese foreign ministry readout.
“At the crossroads of war and peace, major countries must adhere to fairness and justice, uphold objectivity and impartiality, demonstrate calmness and rationality, and make every effort to cool down the situation and prevent larger-scale humanitarian disasters.”
Wang said China believed that the “core” of the solution was to “respect Palestine’s right to statehood and self-determination”. He said Beijing was willing to work with all parties to make efforts to that end.
According to US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller, Blinken discussed with Wang his recent trip to the Middle East and Washington’s diplomatic efforts in the region.
“The secretary reiterated the imperative of all parties working to prevent the conflict from spreading,” Miller said.
Since the Gaza conflict erupted in October, triggered by an attack on southern Israel by Hamas, Washington has firmly backed Israel’s actions and has pledged military support for its close ally.
US President Joe Biden visited Israel in the weeks following the October attack and, most recently, Blinken also visited and pledged Washington’s support but also urged Israeli officials to avoid massive civilian losses as it continued its military operations.
China, meanwhile, has not condemned Hamas’s actions and top officials have labelled Israel’s retaliation as going beyond self-defence.
03:02
Xi Jinping calls for Gaza ceasefire, says two-state solution only option for lasting regional peace
During Wednesday’s call, Wang also emphasised Beijing’s “solemn stance” on Taiwan and stressed that Washington should not interfere in its internal affairs.
The leaders also agreed to resume military-to-military communications during that meeting, in a sign that strained ties between the two superpowers were improving.
Miller, the US State Department spokesman, said Wang and Blinken on Wednesday emphasised the importance of building upon the progress made on key issues during the leaders’ summit.
Wang, according to Beijing’s readout, said the important task now would be to build on the momentum of stabilising US-China ties, and to promote the development of relations in a “healthy, stable and sustainable direction”.
“This is in the common interest of China and the United States, and it is also the responsibility of the two major countries,” he said.
