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China-Middle East relations
ChinaDiplomacy

President Xi Jinping to welcome Arab state leaders to China, with Israel-Gaza war, Palestine and trade on the agenda

  • Leaders of Egypt, Bahrain, Tunisia and UAE to visit Beijing for meetings with Xi and ministerial conference of China-Arab States Cooperation Forum
  • China might also be looking to seal a long-sought free-trade deal with gulf states that reportedly previously stalled over Saudi concerns

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The Israel-Gaza war will be discussed when Arab state leaders visit China this week. Photo: EPA-EFE
Laura Zhou
The Israel-Gaza war and the Palestine issue, as well as a free-trade deal between China and Gulf states, will be high on the agenda when President Xi Jinping hosts a number of Arab leaders in Beijing, observers say.
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The visits mark the launch of China’s latest diplomatic charm offensive with the Arab world amid its rivalry with the United States.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa, Tunisian President Kais Saied and United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan will “pay state visits” to China from Tuesday, according to Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying.

The leaders would also attend the opening ceremony of the 10th Ministerial Conference of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum, Hua said on Monday.

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Speaking at a briefing in Beijing on Monday morning, foreign vice-minister Deng Li said Xi would hold separate meetings with the four state leaders and “exchange views regarding bilateral ties and regional and international issues of common concern”.

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