China will continue to play 'constructive' role for 'comprehensive' ceasefire in Middle East, says top diplomat

Top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi said Wednesday that Beijing will play a "constructive" role in realizing a "comprehensive" ceasefire in the Middle East, and resume long-stalled negotiations between rival parties.

"We will uphold the series of initiatives and propositions put forward by President Xi (Jinping) dedicated to peace and stability, and continue to make China's contribution and play China's constructive role in realizing a comprehensive ceasefire in the Middle East, advancing political settlement, resuming negotiations at an early date, and achieving lasting peace," said Wang, according to the Foreign Ministry.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said in a post on the US social media company X that Wang made the remarks during a meeting with Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, special envoy of the President of the UAE to China, in Beijing.

Wang said that as the Middle East undergoes profound changes, conflicts are dragging on at multiple levels, and their spillover effects continue to weigh on regional security and development.

The path to peace has never been smooth, and promoting peace and ending conflicts requires pooling efforts, said Wang. "We believe that as long as all parties remain committed to the choice of peace and maintain the resolve for peace, a bright future for the Middle East will surely be realized."

China has always been a builder of peace, a promoter of stability and a contributor to development in the Middle East, he added.