Chinese President Xi Jinping has reiterated his support for an independent Palestinian state and pledged additional humanitarian aid for Gaza, as he opened a summit with Arab leaders in Beijing.
In a speech at the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum, Jinping said: “Since last October, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict has escalated dramatically, throwing people into tremendous suffering.’
“The war cannot continue indefinitely, justice cannot be permanently absent, and the two-state solution cannot be shaken arbitrarily,” Xi added.
Key Points:
- China will provide an additional 500 million yuan ($69M) in emergency humanitarian assistance to Gaza.
- Beijing will also donate $3m to the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA).
- The conference gathered top officials from the Arab League including Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Tunisian President Kais Saied and United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
- China has been increasingly flexing its diplomatic muscle in the region, hosting talks between Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah in April.
- Last year, China brokered a reconciliation deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia, ending years of hostilities.
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Talking about trade, the Chinese President said: "The Middle East is a land with broad prospects for development, but war is still raging on it." He also pledged to strengthen cooperation with Arab states on trade, including in the oil and gas sectors.
China, a major buyer of Gulf energy, will support Chinese energy companies and financial institutions in participating in renewable energy projects in Arab countries, with a total installed capacity of over 3 million kilowatts.
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