China’s Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, stated that Israel’s actions in Gaza have exceeded the scope of self-defense and called on Israel to cease its collective punishment of the people of Gaza during a call with Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan.
This comes as Israel appeared prepared for a ground offensive against Hamas militants in Gaza. Over a million people in the northern part of Gaza have been ordered to evacuate ahead of the anticipated assault, raising concerns of a humanitarian crisis.
Wang emphasized the need for Israel to heed the international community and the UN Secretary-General’s calls and cease its collective punishment of Gaza’s people. This marks China’s strongest stance on the conflict to date.
Wang also discussed the situation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, urging the US to play a constructive and responsible role in the conflict and called for the prompt organization of an international peace meeting to build a broad consensus.
China’s official statements have not explicitly named Hamas in their condemnations of violence, leading to criticism from some Western officials who found the statements too weak.
China’s special envoy to the Middle East, Zhai Jun, is set to visit the region to push for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict and promote peace talks. Zhai expressed deep concern over the potential for further escalation and outward spillover of the conflict.
Zhai met with the Arab League’s representatives in China and stated that Beijing supports the group’s significant role in addressing the Palestine issue and is committed to getting the Middle East peace process back on track.
