Xi Jinping proposes a Middle East peace summit.
President Xi Jinping of China has urged for a meeting to resolve the ongoing tension between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. Xi made this statement on Thursday to foreign representatives in Beijing, expressing China's support for a complete resolution of the conflict. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi of Egypt also pleaded for an end to any attempts to expel Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.
The Gaza Strip, which adjoins Egypt, was the first Arab nation to reach a landmark truce with Israel in 1978. Al-Sisi's speech came after the Israeli military revealed on Wednesday that they had secured control over the Philadelphi Corridor, an essential border pathway between Gaza and Egypt. This area, first established in 1979 through the Israel-Egypt peace deal, was formerly used by Israel for patrolling purposes before their 2005 exit from the Gaza Strip. Israel has long presumed that militant groups within Palestinian territories use the corridor to smuggle weaponry.
Xi is currently conducting the summit alongside al-Sisi, the president of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, along with various other Arab leaders.
Aside from promoting unity in the region, China also backs a two-state resolution. This plan pertains to the creation of an autonomous Palestinian state alongside Israel. Xi also emphasized his support for the Palestinian desire to join the United Nations.
According to Xi, the Middle East harbors massive potential for growth. He believes the war in the region should conclude eventually, and justice should not remain elusive. Furthermore, Xi expressed a desire to deepen cooperation between China and Arab states in the energy sector. "China will increase strategic collaboration with the Arab side in the oil and gas industry," Xi underlined in a version of his speech shared by the Foreign Ministry.
Read also:
- Year of climate records: extreme is the new normal
- Precautionary arrests show Islamist terror threat
- UN vote urges Israel to ceasefire
- SPD rules out budget resolution before the end of the year
Source:
