2023-10-24 01:36:44
China recognized Israel’s right to self-defense and changes its position. (EFE/Johnnes Simon)
China recognized that Israel has the right to self-defense once morest Hamas following criticism of its stance on the war, and as Foreign Minister Wang Yi prepares for a high-level visit to Washington.
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“All countries have the right to self-defense, but they must respect international humanitarian law and protect civilians,” Wang told his Israeli counterpart Eli Cohen in a phone call on Monday, according to Chinese state news agency Xinhua.
The statements appear to represent the first time Beijing has acknowledged that Israel has the right to act once morest Hamas, designated a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union.
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Chinese President Xi Jinping last week called for an immediate ceasefire while offering to coordinate with Egypt and other Arab nations “to push for a global, just and lasting solution to the Palestinian issue as soon as possible.”
China has refrained from condemning Hamas for its bloody attack on Israel. (Europa Press/Archive)
China has stopped short of condemning Hamas, which killed 1,400 people, many of them civilians, in an attack on Israel that began on October 7. US congressional leaders confronted Xi over the issue during a visit to Beijing.
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Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called on China to side with Israel and condemn the attacks, hours following lashing out at Wang for showing “no sympathy or support for Israel in these difficult and turbulent times.”
The Israelis also openly rebuked China. “Israel is deeply disappointed by China’s official statements and media reports,” Deputy Director General for Asia-Pacific Affairs Rafi Harpaz told Special Envoy for Middle East Affairs Zhai Jun. during a call, according to an Oct. 13 Chinese-language statement from the Israeli embassy in Beijing.
Wang reiterated on Monday’s call that China is “deeply concerned regarding the continued escalation of the conflict and escalation of the situation” and “deeply saddened by the large number of civilian casualties caused by the conflict,” according to Xinhua. He once more condemned all acts that harm civilians and opposed any violation of international laws.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and US State Department Secretary Antony Blinken held a meeting this year. (Europa Press/Archive)
The turnaround came shortly before Wang is scheduled to visit the United States this week for high-level meetings. He will be in Washington from October 26 to 28 and will meet with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, senior Biden administration officials said in a briefing on Monday. with journalists.
In an interview with Bloomberg Television last week, Ambassador Nicholas Burns in Beijing said that the US and China had divergent views on the war between Israel and Hamas. President Joe Biden affirmed strong US support for Israel during a visit to the country this week, while China has aligned itself with the Palestinian cause and avoided condemning Hamas.
Wang said on Monday that China does not pursue any selfish interest in the issue and sincerely hopes that the differences between Israel and Palestine can be comprehensively and fairly resolved on the basis of the two-state solution, so that legitimate security concerns from all sides can be truly and fully addressed.
“China will firmly support everything that leads to peace and will do everything in its power as long as it promotes reconciliation between Palestine and Israel,” he added.
(Bloomberg)
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