The top diplomat from China says that the world needs to act quickly to stop the fighting in Gaza. China is trying to help establish a truce between Israel and Hamas.
The Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi invited officials from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, the Palestinian National Authority, and Indonesia, along with the head of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, to visit China’s capital for two days. This is the beginning of their planned trips to other world capitals.
The ministers said that the war needs to stop right away and relief supplies need to be sent in quickly.
The countries in the group wanted to work together with China and other responsible countries who understand how serious the situation is.
Israel started attacking Gaza and sending troops there after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7. Israel’s army said more than 200 people were taken captive in the attack.
The meeting in Beijing is happening because CNN has been told that there might be an agreement to free some hostages held by Hamas and to stop fighting for a few days. The United States, Israel, and Hamas have been talking for weeks, with help from Qatar.
Beijing and Washington disagree on how to handle the conflict, including the timing of a ceasefire. Washington does not support an immediate ceasefire, which has caused tension between the two countries. Beijing did not support Israel’s response to the attack and did not speak out against Hamas, causing anger from Israeli leaders.
“Israel needs to stop punishing everyone in Gaza and let aid get through to prevent a big humanitarian crisis. Wang said this during talks with the delegation, as reported by China’s Foreign Ministry. ”
Israel strongly says that it is fighting against terrorism after a terrible attack. It refuses to stop fighting unless the hostages are returned.
China wants to help solve the conflict because it wants to become a big global power.
Last month, Beijing sent a peace representative to visit many countries in the area. China has been speaking up for a quick end to fighting at the United Nations, including the Security Council, where China is currently in charge.
The UN group made a decision about the fighting last week. They want all the people held by Hamas to be let go, and they want safe ways for civilians to get help in the area. The US and the United Kingdom didn’t vote, because they didn’t agree with the resolution for not condemning Hamas.
Chinese Ambassador Zhang Jun said that because of a certain member’s repeated blockages, this resolution is just a first step for now, based on the smallest amount of agreement. It seemed like he was indirectly criticizing the US.
On Monday in Beijing, the Saudi Arabia’s minister praised the Security Council’s decision, which was led by China.
The conflict has helped China make its relationships with Arab countries stronger. China wants to separate the US from the countries it has been friends with for a long time in the Arab world.
“We have always stood up for Arab and Muslim countries, and we have always supported the Palestinian people in getting back their rights,” Wang told the group visiting.
Last month, China’s special envoy for the Middle East, Zhai Jun, visited Egypt, Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Jordan to talk about stopping fighting and having peace for a longer time.
Last week, the representative traveled to Turkey and Bahrain to meet with government officials. They also talked about the “regional situation” with people from Singapore, the US, and Europe at an international conference.
Wang talked to Israel’s Foreign Minister Eli Cohen on the phone last month. It’s not known if China has spoken to Hamas officials during the recent fighting.
This week, the Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki from the West Bank-based Palestinian National Authority is visiting officials in Beijing.
Earlier this month, China sent a top official from its Foreign Ministry to Iran to talk about the conflict. This information was shared on the department’s social media account.
Iran has been supporting Hamas and Hezbollah for a long time.
Last week, Chinese leader Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden talked for a long time in California. Biden asked Xi to use China’s influence with Iran to prevent a bigger conflict in the region, according to a top US official.
Biden told Xi that he sees Hamas as different from the Palestinian people. The US thinks that Hamas is a terrorist group that has caused a lot of harm to the Palestinian people. They also support Israel’s right to fight back against Hamas.
Beijing is talking about the fighting between Palestinians and Israelis, but they’re not mentioning Hamas specifically.
State Department spokesperson Matt Miller said the US would be happy if China helps in a good way in the Middle East.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken has personally made it clear in his conversations with China’s Wang, according to Miller.