China calls for a major UN summit to address Israeli aggression

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
22 Oct 2023 14:12
3 Shares

Chinese Special Envoy for Middle East Affairs, Zhai Jun, emphasizes that the recent intensification of the Palestinian-Israeli struggle underscored the undeniable significance of the Palestinian cause.

Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Zhai Jun, left, speaks to reporters following a meeting with Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad, right, in Damascus, Syria, on Friday, Feb. 17, 2012. (AP)

Chinese Special Envoy for Middle East Affairs, Zhai Jun, has urged the United Nations to promptly organize a more impactful and extensive summit, surpassing the Cairo Peace Summit, to discuss the Palestinian cause.

"The United Nations should facilitate the early convening of a more authoritative, more influential, and larger-scale international peace conference," Zhai was quoted as saying by the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Furthermore, he emphasized that the recent intensification of the war on Gaza underscored the undeniable significance of the Palestinian cause, which cannot be disregarded or relegated to obscurity. This comes shortly after reports of a dispute between the Arab and Western delegations surfaced at the "Cairo Peace Summit" which reportedly hindered reaching a closing statement.

Our correspondent explained that among the points of disagreement was the Western delegations’ refusal to demand a ceasefire or hold “Israel” responsible for “civilian deaths” across the Gaza Strip. Moreover, the correspondent added that Western delegations also rejected the call to permanently open the Rafah border crossing.

There were also reports of efforts made by Western delegations to make sure that no final statement was issued in the first place by the Summit. It is worth noting that leaders and high-ranking officials from over a dozen nations convened in Cairo on Saturday amid increasing concerns about a broader Middle East crisis in the wake of the brutal Israeli aggression on Gaza.

Named the "Cairo Peace Summit," envoys from nations such as Jordan, France, Germany, Russia, China, the United Kingdom, the United States, Qatar, and South Africa are participating in the single-day gathering on Saturday. Additionally, United Nations and European Union representatives are in attendance.