President Xi Jinping said that China wants to work with Arab nations to resolve hotspot issues. He said China saw its relations with Arab states as a model for maintaining world peace and stability.
Xi was speaking at the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum in Beijing.
“In the face of a turbulent world, mutual respect is the way to live in harmony, and fairness and justice are the foundation of lasting security.”
He was addressing the heads of state of Bahrain, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Tunisia. Other Arab League nations were represented at the foreign ministerial level.
Speaking about the war in Gaza, the Chinese leader said war cannot continue indefinitely. He added that a “two-state solution” was the long-term solution.
Beijing has repeatedly called for an immediate ceasefire, a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli crisis, and Palestinian membership in the United Nations. These are positions that align closely with those of Arab nations.
China is increasingly flexing its diplomatic influence in the region, recently hosting the first talks on Chinese soil between the long-feuding Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah in April.
Last year, China also brokered a landmark reconciliation deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia after years of hostilities between the two arch-rivals.
Xi said that China will continue to support alleviating the humanitarian crisis, and post-war rebuilding in Gaza. He pledged to provide another 500 million yuan ($69 million) in emergency humanitarian assistance.
China will also donate $3 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestine Refugees. This is to support its existing emergency assistance to the Gaza region.
With inputs from Reuters
