China’s Xi calls for Middle East peace conference

SpaceWar.com reports: “Chinese President Xi Jinping called on Thursday for a peace conference to end the war between Israel and Hamas, as he addressed Arab leaders at a forum aimed at bolstering ties with the region.

Xi is this week hosting Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Emirati President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and several other Arab leaders.

Itself an oil producer, China has also long imported crude from the Middle East, where it has sought to expand its influence in recent years.

It has positioned itself as a more neutral actor on the Israel-Palestinian conflict than its rival the United States, advocating for a two-state solution while also maintaining good ties with Israel.

China has pointed to the Middle East as a key node in its Belt and Road infrastructure initiative, a central pillar of Xi’s bid to expand his country’s clout overseas…”

The post China’s Xi calls for Middle East peace conference appeared first on JVIM.