Israel-Gaza war: China will ‘do anything’ to restore peace, but ‘prospects are worrying’, envoy says
- Envoy Zhai Jun says China is ‘deeply concerned’ about crisis as he continues Middle East visit
- Zhai presses UN to take on larger mediation role while reiterating calls for a two-state solution, to break ‘vicious cycle’ of violence
China is ready to “do anything” conducive to promote dialogue and restore peace as the fighting in Israel and Gaza intensifies, its Middle East special envoy said, as he outlined plans to visit the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Jordan on the next leg of his mediation trip.
“We are willing to do anything that is conducive to promoting dialogue, achieving ceasefire, and restoring peace,” he told Chinese state media on Sunday on the sidelines of the Cairo Summit.
At the summit, Zhai urged the United Nations to hold a larger, more authoritative and more influential international conference for peace as soon as possible.
The Chinese envoy last week kicked off a Middle Eastern swing as part of diplomatic efforts aimed at cooling tensions in the region. Chinese leaders, including President Xi Jinping, had earlier called for a ceasefire and urged restraint.
Zhai told Qatar’s state minister, Mohammed Abdulaziz al-Khulaifi, last week that China condemned acts that harmed civilians, opposed moves that violated international law, and called on “all relevant parties to keep calm and exercise restraint”.
