China says ready to broker Israel-Palestine peace talks

Beijing, Apr 18 (EFE).- China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang said his country was ready to facilitate the resumption of peace talks between Israel and Palestine, state media reported Tuesday.

Qin also expressed China’s concerns over the current tensions between the two Middle Eastern countries in a phone call to his Israeli counterpart, Eli Cohen, state-run news agency Xinhua reported.

The offer comes after Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed in March to restore diplomatic relations after seven years following China-brokered talks, which Qin cited as “a good example of overcoming differences through dialogue.”

Qin said that the top priority was to bring the situation under control and prevent an escalation of the conflict.

Towards that end, he urged all parties involved to “maintain calm and restraint” and refrain from “excessive and provocative words and deeds,” according to Xinhua.

The fundamental way out is to resume peace talks and implement the “two-state solution,” the Chinese minister stressed.

Qin also alluded to the Global Security Initiative promoted by Chinese President Xi Jinping and expressed China’s belief that the key to resolving the Israel-Palestine conflict lay in upholding the vision of “common security.”

The minister hoped that all parties would seize the opportunity to advance dialogue and reconciliation, implement the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action accord reached in 2015 between Iran and several world powers on the Iranian nuclear program, and safeguard peace in the Middle East.

For his part, Cohen thanked China for its willingness to support the resolution of the conflict and expressed Israel’s commitment to de-escalating the situation.

However, he added that the matter was unlikely to be settled in the short term, according to Xinhua.

Cohen also said his country was closely following the Iranian nuclear issue and expected Beijing to play a positive role in the matter.

Israel sees Iran as an existential threat and views with concern not only its nuclear program, but the expansion of its military capabilities across the Middle East, financing and supporting armed militias in Lebanon, Syria, Gaza and Iraq. EFE

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