China hosts Arab-Islamic foreign ministers in Beijing, urges to end war in Gaza

Asia-Pacific, Middle East, News November 22, 2023 , by IRIA No Comments

Foreign Ministers and diplomats from several Arab and Muslim countries including the Palestinian Authority, Indonesia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan gathered in Beijing on November 20, 2023, for talks aimed at finding a solution to end the war in the Gaza Strip.

The summit was hosted by the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Foreign officials from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Indonesia, Palestinian authorities, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, held meetings with China’s top diplomat.

The Arab and Muslim ministers called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza during their visit to Beijing and urged China to play its role in restoring peace in the region. “We are here to send a clear signal: that is we must immediately stop the fighting and the killings, we must immediately deliver humanitarian supplies to Gaza,” said Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud.

Saudi Arabia has been pressing the global powers including the United States and Israel for an end to hostilities in Gaza. The Kingdom’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, gathered Arab and Muslim leaders in Riyadh earlier this month to reinforce that message.

Joint Arab Islamic Extraordinary Summit holds a meeting with Chinese Vice President — ^{The Ministerial Committee assigned by the Joint Arab Islamic Extraordinary Summit holds a meeting with the Vice President of the People’s Republic of China. (Image Credit: Twitter/Saudi Press Agency)}

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al Maliki was also among the delegation. Al Maliki accused Israel of seeking to “bring to an end the Palestinian people’s presence on what remains of its historical land.”

A spokesperson for Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the displacement of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip will threaten peace, security, and stability in the region and the world.

“Egypt is making every effort to bring aid into the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing, but Israel’s policy of obstructing the entry of aid is a systematic policy aimed at pushing the Palestinians to leave the strip under the weight of bombing and siege,” the spokesperson said.

Chinese FM receives FM Shoukry and members of the Arab – Islamic Ministerial Delegation upon arrival in Beijing. @MFA_China pic.twitter.com/teARLWow4b
— Egypt MFA Spokesperson (@MfaEgypt) November 20, 2023

China’s role

China’s Wang said Beijing was a “good friend and brother of Arab and Muslim countries,” adding it has “always firmly supported the just cause of the Palestinian people to restore their legitimate national rights and interests.”

“The situation in Gaza affects all countries around the world, questioning the human sense of right and wrong and humanity’s bottom line,” he said, before urging the international community to “act urgently” to prevent the war from spreading.

*^{Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi with a joint delegation of foreign ministers from Arab and Islamic countries in Beijing on November 20, 2023. (Image Credit: Twitter/Xinhua News)}*

Wang Yi highlighted that “China calls for the convening of a larger, wider and more effective international peace conference as soon as possible, and formulating a timetable and road map for this purpose,” adding that Beijing will continue to make efforts to promote peace between Palestine and Israel and peace and stability in the Middle East.

With the U.S. and other Western countries openly supporting Israel, China is stepping up its international role by filling the vacuum of a neutral mediator between Israel and the Arab-Muslim world.

Beijing has come forward to play a significant role in calling for a two-state solution as a means to end the war, which has now killed more than 14,000 Palestinian people in Gaza and some 1,200 in Israel.

Since the outbreak of the war last month, China has been opposing Israel’s action in Gaza. During his talks with the Saudi counterpart, Wang said that “Israel’s actions have gone beyond self-defense”.