Chinese President Xi tells Arab nations he wants Gaza peace conference

Chinese President Xi Jinping called for a peace conference on the war between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas while addressing Arab leaders and diplomats at a forum in Beijing on Thursday (May 30).

China is hosting Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi along with several other Arab leaders for a forum anticipated to include discussions on the war in Gaza for this week.

As Xi addressed the Arab leaders, he said China supported a peace conference to resolve the conflict.

"The Middle East is a land conferred with broad prospects for development, but the war is still raging on it," Xi said and added, "War should not continue for an indefinite period. Justice should not be absent forever.”

Xi further said, China "supports Palestine's full membership in the UN, and supports a more broad-based, authoritative and effective international peace conference".

China, which maintains good relations with Israel, has long advocated for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

While meeting with Egypt's Sisi on Wednesday, Xi said he was deeply hurt by the situation in Gaza.

The health ministry in Gaza says 36,171 people, mostly civilians, have been killed.

"Currently, the top priority duty is an immediate ceasefire, in order to avoid spillover of conflict, impact on regional peace and stability, and... to prevent a more serious humanitarian crisis," Xi said.

Xi stated, China was "ready to work with Egypt, to push for an early and lasting settlement of the Palestinian issue".

A golden opportunity

In recent years, China has aimed to strengthen its ties with Arab states. Last year, it facilitated a détente between Saudi Arabia and its long-time adversary, Iran.

Last month, China hosted rival Palestinian groups Hamas and Fatah for in-depth talks on promoting intra-Palestinian reconciliation.

Analysts say China is seeking to leverage the war in Gaza to boost its standing in the region, framing its efforts to end that conflict against perceived US inaction.

On Thursday, Xi hailed his "deep sense of affinity" with the Arab world.

United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan was among the regional leaders and diplomats attending this week's forum.

While addressing the leaders, Xi said, "China will further improve strategic cooperation with the Arab side on oil and gas, and integrate supply security with market security."

"China is ready to work with the Arab side on new energy technology R&D and equipment production," the Chinese leader added.

(With inputs from agencies)