China, Arab countries to seek end of Gaza conflict

China and Arab nations are expected to issue a joint call for bringing an end to the Gaza conflict as soon as possible and urging the international community to implement the two-state solution, at a key China-Arab meeting that will be convened on Thursday in Beijing.

Noting that the raging conflict in the Gaza Strip has killed or wounded more than 100,000 civilians, Vice-Foreign Minister Deng Li said on Monday that the Chinese and Arab foreign ministers will have an in-depth discussion on the Palestinian issue to form a common voice during the 10th ministerial conference of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum.

"As a responsible major country, China believes that it is necessary for us to do our part in promoting peace in the Middle East and to shoulder our responsibilities in alleviating the humanitarian crisis," Deng said at a news briefing in Beijing ahead of the conference.

"At this moment, the international community should act with fairness and justice for peace in the Middle East," Deng added.

Meanwhile, he dismissed the claim that China is filling the so-called power vacuum in the region left by the United States, saying that the Middle East is a land of its own people and its issues should be resolved by regional countries and their peoples through negotiations.

"You noticed recently that China's diplomatic activities in the Middle East are more active. In fact, our efforts in promoting peace in the region have never been absent," Deng told reporters, noting that China has been firmly supporting the just cause of the Palestinian people in restoring its legitimate rights and supporting the two-state solution since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949.

China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi (front row 4rth R) poses for a group photo with Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud (front row 3rd L), Jordan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi (front row 3rd R), Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry (front row 2nd L), Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi (front row 2nd R), Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Maliki (front row L), and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha (front row R) before a meeting of foreign ministers from Arab and Muslim-majority nations at the Diaoyutai State Guest House in Beijing on November 20, 2023. [PEDRO PARDO/AFP via Getty Images]

Thursday's meeting, with the participation of President Xi Jinping and a number of Arab leaders at its opening ceremony, will point the way forward for relations as well as cooperation between China and Arab states, experts said.

According to the Foreign Ministry, King of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Tunisian President Kais Saied and President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, are scheduled to attend the opening ceremony at Xi's invitation. They will also make state visits to China from Tuesday to Saturday.

"The attendance of the four Arab heads of state at the opening ceremony fully demonstrates the solidarity and cooperation between China and Arab countries, as well as their shared desire to continuously elevate ties to new heights," Deng said.

Deng said that the ministerial conference, co-chaired by Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Mauritanian counterpart Mohamed Salem Ould Merzouk, will study the specific measures to implement the consensuses reached by leaders, expand China-Arab cooperation in various fields and promote the building of a China-Arab community with a shared future.

"The conference will be a new milestone for China-Arab relations as well as for China's bilateral ties with all Arab countries," he said.

Tang Zhichao, a researcher on Middle East studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the ministerial conference will play a pivotal role as a platform in guiding the future of China-Arab cooperation based on its past achievements.

"It is hoped that China will announce at the meeting a series of moves that point out key priorities for future China-Arab cooperation," he said, adding that China and Arab countries are expected to reach consensus on promoting modernization, among other issues.

Tang also said that as more countries are recognizing a Palestinian state, an appeal for justice on the Palestinian issue is what the international community urgently needs.

(China Daily)