China wants to broker Israel-Palestine peace talks

China is positioning itself as a regional mediator after brokering the restoration of ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia

China’s Foreign Minister told his Israeli and Palestinian counterparts his country is ready to help facilitate peace talks, state media reported.

The separate phone calls between  Qin Gang and the Israeli and Palestinian top diplomats comes amid recent moves by Beijing to position itself as a regional mediator.

Qin encouraged “steps to resume peace talks,” and said that “China is ready to provide convenience for this,” in a Monday phone call with Israel’s Foreign Minister, Eli Cohen.

In his conversation with Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Maliki, Qin is reported to have said that Beijing supports the resumption of talks as soon as possible.

In both calls he emphasised China’s push for peace talks based on implementing a “two-state solution,” Xinhua, China’s state news agency, said.

China has been on a recent diplomatic offensive, brokering the restoration of ties in March between Iran and Saudi Arabia – rivals in a region where the United States for decades has been the main diplomatic powerbroker.

“Saudi Arabia and Iran recently restored diplomatic relations through dialogue, setting a good example of overcoming differences through dialogue,” Qin said.

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China ready to broker Israel-Palestine peace talks, says foreign minister (Guardian)

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Photo: Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang (Jade Gao/Pool Photo via AP, File)