Sun 15 October 2023:
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has criticised Israel’s operation in Gaza, describing the action as “beyond the scope of self-defence” and urging Netanyahu’s government to “cease its collective punishment of” Palestinians in the besieged enclave.
Wang made the comments during a call with his Saudi Arabian counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud on Saturday, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
Wang said, “All parties should not take any action to escalate the situation and should return to the negotiating table as soon as possible.”
Bigger strategy
In the days since the Hamas strikes, Chinese state media also has painted the United States as a regional villain plotting “behind the scenes” of Middle East conflicts and hinted at a Beijing-led role in ending them.
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict “requires a more powerful collective effort from the international community to change it,” the state-backed Global Times tabloid said Sunday.
In some ways, it fits into the opportunistic way China is approaching world crises in its push for superpower status. Xi in particular is seeking more support for his Global Security Initiative, an alternative vision to the U.S.-led international order.
