Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has called for the realisation of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian nation, in his first public comments about the conflict in the Middle East since the crisis began on Saturday.
His comments – ahead of a UN Security Council emergency meeting taking place on Friday – are part of China’s mediation efforts in recent days, with its Middle East envoy also speaking to leaders on both sides of the conflict.
Wang was speaking by phone on Thursday to Celso Luiz Nunes Amorim, chief adviser to Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who advised that the Security Council meeting would take place, according to the Chinese foreign ministry.
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Brazil holds the rotating presidency of the Security Council this month and will host the emergency session.
Also on Thursday, special envoy for Middle East affairs Zhai Jun called for a ceasefire, in China’s first public contact with Israel since the attack by Hamas.
In a phone call with a senior Israeli diplomat, Zhai said the two sides should restart peace talks on the basis of the two-state solution framework. He delivered a similar message one day earlier to the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank.
According to the foreign ministry readout, Wang said in his call to Amorim that the Palestinian issue was at the core of Middle East affairs. “The crux of the matter is that justice has not been done to the Palestinian people,” he said, adding that peace talks must resume.
Wang said that China advocates for a more authoritative and influential international peace conference to forge a broader consensus based on the two-state solution, as well as to formulate a timetable and road map for it.
Amorim underlined that resuming peace negotiations is the key to ending the conflict, and Brazil is ready to closely coordinate with China to jointly de-escalate the situation.
Middle East envoy Zhai also stressed the need for the international community to play an effective role in preventing an escalation of the situation and consequent humanitarian disaster.
In his call with Rafi Harpaz, the Israeli foreign ministry’s deputy director general in charge of Asia-Pacific affairs, Zhai expressed China’s condolences to the families of the victims, according to the foreign ministry readout.
“China condemns the behaviour that harms innocent civilians and calls for a ceasefire and an end to the violence as soon as possible. We are deeply concerned at the increase in tension and the escalation of violence, grieved by the civilian casualties caused by the conflict.”
Chinese envoy tells Palestinian official ceasefire is ‘top priority’
Zhai said China has no self-interests in the Palestinian-Israeli issue but only stands up for peace, fairness, and justice.
“China sincerely hopes for peaceful coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians and is ready to work with the international community to promote peace and dialogue and to create conditions for peace,” he said.
Zhai’s comments were in line with Beijing’s long-standing position not to explicitly criticise any party in the conflict.
The foreign ministry readout said that Harpaz presented Israel’s views and position on the situation. The Israeli side “will do its utmost to protect Chinese citizens in Israel”, he added.
Three Chinese nationals had been killed in the conflict as of Thursday, according to foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin. Several are wounded and two are still missing, he said.
Wang said China’s diplomatic missions were “making every effort to get treatment for the wounded and make proper arrangements for the deceased”.
He urged relevant parties to do everything needed for the search and rescue of China’s missing citizens and to take every effective step to keep Chinese nationals and institutions safe.
Earlier on Thursday, Israel’s ambassador to China Irit Ben-Abba said that Beijing should use its influence on Iran to rein in Hamas, since Tehran was “definitely very much involved in what has happened”, according to Bloomberg.
Israel-Hamas conflict puts China’s approach to Middle East to the test
Wu Sike, China’s former envoy to the Middle East, said an independent Palestine under the two-state solution is the only way for Israel to have “long-term security and peace”.
He also said that Beijing would need to engage with Hamas, as the militant group is “an important part of the conflict” and should be included in any future peace talks as it “represents a certain group of Palestine people”.
Wu served in China’s Middle East diplomacy branch from 1971. During his tenure as special envoy to the region, he witnessed the 2014 war in Gaza and met the former leader of Hamas Khaled Mashal in Qatar to broker a ceasefire.
“The Palestine issue remains at the centre of the Middle East problem ... if the issue is not resolved, [the conflict] will erupt sooner or later in different forms, regardless of any major changes in the regional and international situation,” he said.
Wu added that despite Israel having “absolute military superiority”, it would be difficult to achieve long-term peace and stability through the military subjugation of Palestinians.
“This is why China has been stressing the two-state solution so that there will be security in the region and long-term stability for Israel,” he said.
China has not directly engaged with Hamas, nor publicly condemned its assaults. There is no official diplomatic channel between the militant group and Beijing, which recognises the Palestinian Authority and its president Mahmoud Abbas.
At a meeting with Abbas in June, Chinese President Xi Jinping reaffirmed China’s willingness to “play a positive role” in pushing for peace talks and supporting an independent Palestine under the two-state solution.
According to Wu, China normally engages with Hamas through its official connections with the authority, which is backed by the Palestinian Liberation Organisation. Hamas is also “a part of Palestine”, he said.
But he added that when the conflict erupts, “we have to reach out and work with the most influential parties to promote a solution to the problem”. Wu also said that Hamas needs to take part in any potential peace talks.
“Hamas has been able to exist for such a long time because it has a broad mass base, so it and the West Bank should reach a consensus and participate in the negotiations together to achieve a solution,” he said.
“I think that we should promote the intra-Palestinian reconciliation, this reconciliation, which is a very important step.”
China offers to work with Egypt to help mediate Israel-Hamas conflict
Current envoy Zhai has also called for Egypt to mediate between Israel and Hamas, but Tel Aviv has reportedly declined the Egyptian offer.
But according to Wu, Egypt remains the best-moderating player and has historically assumed the role of mediator. That role would continue after Israel and Hamas end their offensive approaches, he said.
“China has a very good history of cooperation with Egypt [on the Israel-Palestine issue]. Egypt has its unique position and role ... so if it doesn’t work today, it will do it again tomorrow, and in the end, it will always be done.”
More from South China Morning Post:
- Israel-Hamas conflict raises questions over China’s long-term plans for Middle East
- Israel-Hamas war: mother of kidnapped woman says daughter is Israeli, not Chinese
- Why China should focus on hostage crisis as Israel-Hamas conflict explodes
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