Tuesday marked the beginning of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ trip to China, which comes at a time when China is vying for a stronger role in the politics of the Middle East and fighting for energy resources.
During the announcement of the visit, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that China was prepared to assist in mediating negotiations between the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli government. These negotiations have reached their most fraught state in recent memory.
The ministry did not disclose who Abbas will see in Beijing or provide any other specifics on his upcoming four-day trip there.
Since the beginning of this year, Israel and Palestinians in the West Bank have engaged in increasingly violent conflict, which has led in the worst period of violence between the two groups in the West Bank in recent years.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is visiting China as Beijing seeks a greater role in Mideast affairs and energy resources.
In addition, the visit comes after China played host to discussions between Saudi Arabia and Iran, which resulted in the two countries reestablishing their diplomatic ties.
In light of the fact that Gulf Arab governments believe the United governments is gradually withdrawing from the wider area, this new move was perceived as signifying a diplomatic success for China.
However, it is still unclear how far the attempts at reconciliation between Iran and Saudi Arabia would go to in the future.
The animosity between the two nations extends back to 1979, when a revolution that was supported by the West ousted Iran’s monarchy. In more recent years, both countries have supported competing armed organizations and political factions throughout the region.
According to the official state broadcaster CCTV, Foreign Minister Qin Gang was cited as stating that “China supports the resumption of peace talks between Palestine and Israel as soon as possible on the basis of the ‘two-state solution,’ and is willing to play an active role in this regard.”
