A delegation of Arab and Muslim leaders was received in Beijing by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Palestine and Indonesia started it journey in all world capitals. They want to convince the leaders of their version of events in the Gaza Strip. They seek a ceasefire. This is a solution that most Western countries oppose. As part of the compromise in mid-November, all that was negotiated was the implementation of a humanitarian pause, namely a four-hour pause in Israeli shelling.

The Middle Kingdom is the first stop on a diplomatic tour of Palestinian allies. This step is seen as a signal for the United States, which has played a major role in resolving conflicts in the Middle East. Today they lose this monopoly. Involvement in these matters is also Beijing’s goal. However, Riyadh, which led the delegation, focused on foreign policy based on multilateralism. Even though it has been the US’s main partner in the region for many years, it now does not want to follow Washington’s position. The best example is the war in Ukraine. On the one hand, Saudi made diplomatic efforts by organizing Ukrainian peace negotiations. On the other hand, they reduced oil production within the OPEC+ cartel which was seen as a gift to sanctioned Russia.

“Choosing China as the first stop in international mediation efforts shows a high level of trust in the PRC and reflects the great tradition of mutual understanding and support between the parties,” wrote the Communist Party’s Global Times daily. In his talks with Middle Eastern diplomats, Wang emphasized that China is a “friend of Arab and Islamic countries.” – We always pay attention to their rights and legitimate interests – he said.