Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi recently spoke by phone with his counterparts in Egypt and Jordan in a renewed Chinese diplomatic push to avoid an escalation of the conflict in the Middle East.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi recently spoke by phone with his counterparts in Egypt and Jordan in a renewed Chinese diplomatic push to avoid an escalation of the conflict in the Middle East.
Tensions are high following the suspected Israeli assassination of the Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last week. Iran has indicated that it will retaliate for the attack.
In his calls, Wang said Beijing “firmly opposes and strongly condemns the assassination, which violates the basic norms of international relations, infringes upon Iran’s sovereignty, undermines the ceasefire negotiation process in Gaza.”
He also told Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Immigration, and Egyptian Expats, Badr Abdelatty, that according to China, “this assassination violates the basic principles of the UN Charter.”
He told Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on Tuesday that the key to avoiding a wider regional conflict is a “full and permanent” ceasefire in Gaza.
According to a readout from the call, Wang told Safadi: “China will continue to stand firm with Arab countries, support all efforts that are conducive to achieving a permanent and full ceasefire in Gaza, avoid further escalation of conflicts and confrontations, and promote the easing of the situation in the Middle East as soon as possible.”
The calls come amid ongoing efforts to stop Iran’s expected retaliation from sparking a wider regional conflict. U.S. President Joe Biden spoke with Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on Tuesday about Egyptian efforts to lower tensions, while Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on both Israel and Iran to avoid escalating the conflict.
Meanwhile, Egypt’s Foreign Minister Abdelatty also called his Iranian counterpart Ali Bagheri Kani for the second time in a week to urge restraint.
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT? China is emerging as a significant stakeholder in the Middle East conflict, following its recent brokering of a unity agreement between different Palestinian factions. While this unity is fragile, it also projects powerful symbolism to the Global South, which has become increasingly vocal about human rights abuses in Gaza.
SUGGESTED READING
- South China Morning Post: China’s Wang Yi Calls for International Community to Unite Behind Gaza Ceasefire by Dewey Sim
- AA: Chinese Foreign Minister Says Hamas Leader Haniyeh’s Assassination Violates UN Charter by Riyaz ul Khaliq
