Tag: Middle East

China’s Hamas Stance: Key Divide Ahead of Top Diplomat’s Washington Visit

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WASHINGTON —  China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, is expected to visit Washington this month on a highly anticipated trip that comes as U.S. officials urge Beijing to help prevent fighting in the Middle East from spreading. China’s leader Xi Jinping broke nearly two weeks of silence on events in Israel on Thursday, saying he supports an immediate cease-fire and establishing “an independent state of Palestine” as the best way out of the conflict. Beijing’s position has drawn the ire of Israeli officials, who insist Tel Aviv has a right to…

Mideast, Fentanyl Top US Agenda as China’s Top Diplomat to Visit Washington

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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s planned visit to Washington this month is viewed as paving the way for further high-level meetings between the United States and China. It comes as Washington urges Beijing to use its lines of communication with countries in the Middle East to prevent a military escalation of the Israel-Hamas conflict. Washington also is calling for Beijing’s cooperation to stop the flow of precursor chemicals that are fueling the fentanyl crisis. VOA State Department Bureau Chief Nike Ching has more. Voice of America

China’s Xi Urges End to Israel-Hamas Conflict Through Two-State Solution

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TAIPEI, TAIWAN —  Chinese leader Xi Jinping made his first public comment about the Israel-Hamas conflict Thursday, calling for a cease-fire and reiterating that establishing “an independent state of Palestine” through a two-state solution is the “fundamental way out of” the conflict. “The top priority is to stop the fighting as soon as possible, prevent the conflict from spreading or even getting out of control and causing a severe humanitarian crisis,” Xi said during his meeting with Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly in Beijing. Some analysts say Xi’s remarks are…

Biden Visits Israel and Putin Visits China Amid Gaza and Ukraine Wars

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As President Biden visited Israel on Wednesday, seeking to display steadfast American support for the country, President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia was in Beijing, seeking to display his “no limits” partnership with China’s top leader, Xi Jinping. The two contrasting trips show how vastly the global political landscape has been redrawn by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and how that changed landscape is on full display in the war in Gaza. Russia, China and Iran were already forming a new axis over Ukraine, one they have pursued diplomatically, economically,…

Museum Shows Explore the Global South

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This article is part of the Fine Arts & Exhibits special section on the art world’s expanded view of what art is and who can make it. “I think we’re hard-wired to be afraid of people who are different from us,” said Linda Komaroff, a curator of Islamic art at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. “A show focused on dining makes it easier. We all eat, we all like food.” Ms. Komaroff was talking about “Dining with the Sultan: The Fine Art of Feasting,” the exhibition she has…

Israel-Hamas War Adds to Surge in Global Weapons Sales

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Just days after the assault by Hamas ignited a new war in the Middle East, shipments of American weapons began arriving in Israel: smart bombs, ammunition and interceptors for the Iron Dome missile-defense system. When President Biden meets in Israel on Wednesday with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, more military aid is a likely topic. The conflict between Israel and Hamas is just the latest impetus behind a boom in international arms sales that is bolstering profits and weapons-making capacity among American suppliers. The surge in sales is providing the Biden…

China Signals Willingness to Deepen Involvement in Facilitating Potential Hamas-Israel Cease-Fire   

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Taipei, Taiwan   —  In a sign of possibly deepening its involvement in the ongoing conflict between Israel and militant group Hamas, China’s special envoy for the Middle East, Zhai Jun, will visit “relevant countries in the region” next week to facilitate a cease-fire and potential peace talks, China’s state broadcaster CCTV reported on Sunday. No itinerary was released. In an interview with CCTV, Zhai said China has reiterated that “force is never the way to solve problems” and responding to violence with violence will only create a vicious cycle…

China Exploits Israel-Hamas Conflict to Diminish US Global Influence

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WASHINGTON —  Beijing is likely to use the Israel-Hamas war to try to diminish Washington’s global influence while boosting its own, said analysts. China has been bitterly attacking the U.S. on its state media over the conflict raging in the Middle East, saying Washington’s one-sided military support for Israel is fueling tensions and increasing the humanitarian crisis in the region. “If Washington really wants to mediate the crisis, it should sit both sides down for negotiations, instead of sending warships to the Middle East to boost Israel’s morale,” said a…

Chinese Migrant Workers in Israel Witness Hamas Airstrikes

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Chinese migrant workers in Israel were among those caught up in the middle of airstrikes launched by Hamas this week, even as Beijing has resisted condemning the militant group directly over the attacks. Speaking with VOA’s Mandarin Service, the workers said they were relieved at seeing how the Israeli anti-missile system worked to intercept rockets from the Gaza Strip and hoped both parties could reach a cease-fire agreement soon. One Chinese construction worker in Rishon LeZion in central Israel said the attacks this week by Hamas were the worst he…