China FM warns of humanitarian disaster in Gaza, says urgent ceasefire needed

Beijing, China — AFP

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said that the world must “act urgently” to calm Israel’s war on Gaza as he hosted diplomats from Arab and Muslim-majority nations in Beijing.

A delegation of foreign ministers of the Palestinian Authority, Indonesia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan are in Beijing this week for talks aimed at a “de-escalation” of the current blitzkrieg on Gaza.

“Let us work together to quickly cool down the situation in Gaza and restore peace in the Middle East as soon as possible,” Wang told ministers at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in the Chinese capital.

“A humanitarian disaster is unfolding in Gaza,” Wang told the delegates, including the secretary-general of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

“The situation in Gaza affects all countries around the world, questioning the human sense of right and wrong and humanity’s bottom line,” he said.

“The international community must act urgently, taking effective measures to prevent this tragedy from spreading,” Beijing’s top diplomat added.

According to official sources, at least 13,000 people have been killed in Israel’s relentless aerial bombardment and ground operations, thousands of them children.

– ‘Good friends’ –

China has historically been sympathetic to the Palestinians and supportive of a two-state solution to the crisis.

It has this year sought to play a greater role in the Middle East, facilitating a historic rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran and sending an envoy to the region to push for a ceasefire in the ongoing war.

Wang told the diplomats that Beijing was “a good friend and brother of Arab and Muslim countries”.

“We have always firmly defended the legitimate rights and interests of Arab and Muslim countries, and have always firmly supported the Palestinian people’s efforts to restore their legitimate national rights and interests,” he said.

“China firmly stands with justice and fairness in this conflict.”

The Palestinian Authority’s foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki accused Israel of seeking to “bring to an end the Palestinian people’s presence on what remains of its historical land”.

Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Saudi Arabia’s top diplomat, said Riyadh was “seeking more cooperation with our friends in China” with a view to “work towards ending this crisis and this grave situation as quickly as possible”.