China welcomes Arab and Muslim foreign ministers for talks on ending war in Gaza

Envoys from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the Palestinian Authority and Indonesia begin tour of world capitals in Beijing; China says it is a ‘brother’ to Islamic nations

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, foreground center, stands with his counterparts from left, Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Hissein Brahim Taha and their delegations as they pose for a group photo prior to their meeting at the Diaoyutai state guesthouse in Beijing, November 20, 2023. (Andy Wong/AP)

Ministers from Arab and Muslim-majority countries are to head to China tomorrow as part of the first leg of a tour aimed at ending Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza, the Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said.

In an announcement shared on social media platform X, the Kingdom’s top diplomat said “The first stop will be in China and will then move to a number of capitals to deliver the clear message that there must be a ceasefire immediately as well as aid and humanitarian needs must be immediately delivered to Gaza.”

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Prince Faisal made the comments after a meeting with EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on the sidelines of the Manama Dialogue 2023 conference in Bahrain.

“We must work to end this crisis and end this war on Gaza as soon as possible,” Prince Faisal added.

According to the Saudi Gazette, the extraordinary joint Arab-Islamic Summit, which was held in Riyadh last week, issued a resolution tasking the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Qatar, Turkiye, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Palestine to initiate immediate international action on behalf of all member states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Arab League.

“The goal is to formulate an international initiative to halt the war in Gaza and push for a genuine and serious political process, leading to a permanent and comprehensive peace in accordance with established international references,” it said.

The forthcoming meeting in Beijing was confirmed today by China’s state broadcaster CCTV, citing the country’s foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning.

“During the visit, China will have in-depth communication and coordination with the delegation on ways to deescalate the ongoing Palestinian-Israeli conflict, protect civilians and seek a just settlement of the Palestinian question,” said Mao.

In May, a poll conducted for Arab News by Yougov found that the majority of Palestinian respondents – 80 per cent, preferred China as a potential peace broker in the conflict with the occupation state, with the US seen as the least trusted mediator.

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