Chinese President Xi Jinping calls for peace and ‘justice’ conference on war in Gaza as Arab leaders visit Beijing

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Chinese President Xi Jinping denounced the “tremendous suffering” in the Middle East and called for an international peace conference as Arab leaders visit Beijing this week amid growing global concern over… Israel’s war in Gaza.

“Since last October, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict has escalated dramatically, causing the Palestinian people enormous suffering. The war should not continue indefinitely. The war should not continue indefinitely,” Xi said on Thursday at the opening of a meeting between senior diplomats from China and Arab countries, attended by Also many leaders of the region: “Justice should not be absent forever.”

He also reiterated China’s call for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, as well as Beijing’s support for a “more broad, reliable and effective international peace conference.”

Diplomatic gatherings in Beijing This war comes at a time when the Israeli war in Gaza remains an urgent global focus, as do the Israeli forces Intensification of operations In the city of Rafah, in the south of the Gaza Strip, the humanitarian crisis is worsening day after day. Delegations from 22 Arab countries met at the Diaoyutai State Guest House in Beijing, according to Chinese official media.

Later on Thursday, Chinese ministers and Arab countries adopted a sharp joint statement condemning “Israel’s aggression against the Palestinian people” and in Rafah, according to the document published by Chinese state media on Friday.

The statement – which adopted some of China’s clearest language yet on the conflict – denounced what it described as a “deadly famine, a blockade that has cut off all means of livelihood” and the “systematic” destruction of residential areas, hospitals, schools and mosques. Churches and infrastructure in Gaza.

Israel has repeatedly defended its operations in the Strip as necessary to eliminate the armed Hamas movement.

Chinawhich has sought to deepen its ties across the Middle East in recent years, has positioned itself in alignment with the Arab world and the broader Global South over the nearly eight-month-old conflict, Criticism of Israel And calling for a ceasefire.

Its position has put it at odds with the United States, which has long been a major power in the region and a major supporter of Israel. Chinese officials have used the conflict to… Hit in WASHINGTON – This fits into a larger message from Beijing that portrays the United States as an aggressor who unfairly dominates the current world order.

In his remarks, Xi praised the “shared desire for a new era in China-Arab relations” and said that their relations could be “a model for maintaining global peace and stability.”

“In this turbulent world, peaceful relations come from mutual respect, and lasting security is built on fairness and justice,” said the Chinese leader, who has pushed for an alternative model of global security to the US-backed alliance-based model.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, United Arab Emirates President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Bahrain King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and Tunisian President Kais Saied will visit China on official visits coinciding with the ministerial meeting.

After the meeting, Wang told reporters, “The strongest call for the meeting was to strongly support the Palestinian people in restoring their legitimate national rights.”

Wang said, according to Chinese official media, “The joint statement presents a fair voice to promote a quick solution to the conflict in Gaza and a comprehensive, just and lasting solution to the Palestinian issue.”

Israel declared war on Hamas in Gaza following the attack launched by the movement on October 7 on its territory, which led to the killing of about 1,200 people and the taking of more than 200 hostages, according to Israeli forces. More than 36,000 Palestinians have been killed since the start of Israeli military operations in Gaza, according to the Ministry of Health.

Since the beginning of the war, Beijing has positioned itself as an advocate for the broader cause of a two-state solution, which would lead to international recognition of a Palestinian state. This position comes in line with the country’s recognition of the Palestinian state in 1988.

China also sent rounds of envoys to the region to meet with its Arab counterparts and supported calls for a ceasefire at the United Nations. It did not explicitly condemn Hamas for the October 7 attacks.

Last month, Beijing hosted representatives of the rival Palestinian movements Fatah and Hamas for “reconciliation” talks.

In the joint statement issued on Thursday, China and its Arab counterparts also called for “an end to the occupation of the territories of the State of Palestine” and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. It also condemned the United States for using its veto power in the United Nations Security Council to prevent a resolution that would have recommended granting full membership to the Palestinians in the United Nations.

Through its diplomacy this week, China “wants to show leadership, strengthen relations, and call for a ceasefire (in Gaza).” “She wants to be a particularly strong leader on this issue, at least rhetorically,” said Yun Sun, director of the China program at the Washington-based Stimson Center think tank, speaking before the meeting.

He added: “China has chosen to stand by Palestine and the Arab countries. The choice is deliberate because it suggests a desire for alliance with Arab countries and the Global South. But China did not create the crisis. “She just took advantage of it,” she added.

Even as Beijing has sought to consolidate ties across the Middle East in recent years, observers say its influence in the region remains limited.

Beijing also appeared unwilling to take certain steps to respond to the regional impacts of the conflict. For example, it said it had not deployed additional naval assets to secure Red Sea shipping lines that have come under attack in recent months by Iran-backed Houthi rebels.

During his opening speech, Xi pledged that China would provide nearly an additional $70 million to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and support post-conflict reconstruction, in addition to the nearly $14 million it has already contributed, in addition to $3 million to the Relief and Works Agency. United Nations refugees. Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in support of its emergency humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Thursday’s ministerial meeting is the first of its kind since China held its first joint summit with Arab leaders in late 2022 in Saudi Arabia.

Xi was then welcomed to the Gulf state amid great fanfare — a sharp contrast to the tense visit by US President Joe Biden earlier that year amid US outrage over Riyadh’s alleged role in the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside its consulate in Istanbul. .

Xi and other senior Chinese officials also held bilateral talks with the visiting leaders this week, and announced that China will hold the second summit between China and Arab countries in 2026.