Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) told Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly on Thursday that their countries should work together to bring “more stability” to the Middle East, as the Israel-Hamas war casts a shadow over the region.
Top UN humanitarian official Martin Griffiths on Wednesday said the situation in Gaza was dire, with hospitals overwhelmed, more than 3,000 Gazans killed and 12,500 wounded.
China has repeatedly backed a vague two-state proposal on the decades-long deadlock that preceded the war, but it has historically been sympathetic to the Palestinian cause — albeit in favor of the nationalist Palestine Liberation Organization rather than radical Muslim Hamas.
Photo: Reuters
Xi met Madbouly in Beijing yesterday, repeating China’s support for a “two-state solution ... to realize the peaceful coexistence of Palestine and Israel,” multiple Chinese state media outlets reported.
“China is willing to enhance cooperation with Egypt ... and inject more certainty and stability into the region and the world,” Xi was reported as saying.
Beijing was also willing to work with Cairo to “jointly safeguard international fairness and justice as well as the common interests of developing countries,” he said.
China “appreciates the important role played by Egypt in de-escalating the situation and supports Egypt’s efforts to open humanitarian corridors,” Xi said. “The top priority is to cease fire and stop war at an early date.”
After the US vetoed a UN Security Council resolution on Wednesday calling for a “humanitarian pause,” Beijing reiterated those calls for a ceasefire.
“China is deeply disappointed in the US’ obstruction of the Security Council’s adoption of a draft resolution on the Palestinian issue,” Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Mao Ning said.
Mao called on the Security Council to “play its role in reaching a ceasefire and stopping the war.”
Relations between China and Egypt have warmed in recent months, with Cairo next year set to become an official member of the recently expanded BRICS group comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
“China congratulates Egypt on joining the BRICS cooperation mechanism and believes that this will inject new impetus into BRICS cooperation,” Xi said in his meeting with Madbouly.
“China and Egypt are good friends who share the same goals and trust each other, and good partners who work hand-in-hand for development and common prosperity,” he said.
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