Beijing: The top diplomats from China and the United States discussed the Israel-Hamas conflict in a call on Wednesday, Beijing and Washington said, agreeing on the need to de-escalate the war.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken "reiterated the imperative of all parties working to prevent the conflict from spreading", according to the US State Department.
Beijing said Foreign Minister Wang Yi (pictured) stressed in turn that, regarding the conflict between Israel and Hamas, "the top priority is to cease fire and end the war as soon as possible".
"Major countries must adhere to fairness and justice, uphold objectivity and impartiality, demonstrate calm and rationality, and make every effort to cool down the situation and prevent larger-scale humanitarian disasters," Wang said, according to the foreign ministry.
He reiterated Beijing's calls for a two-state solution to the conflict, stressing that "any arrangement involving the future of Palestine must reflect the will of the Palestinian people".
"China is willing to work with all parties to make efforts to this end," he said.
Blinken has made several visits to the Middle East in recent months as Israel pursues its campaign on the besieged Gaza Strip to destroy the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas.
China has good relations with Iran, whose clerical leadership supports both Hamas, which carried out deadly attacks on Israel on October 7, and Hezbollah that could open a second front against Israel.
Washington has been pressing Beijing to use its influence to push for calm in the region. — Reuters
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