Egypt President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, along with leaders from the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Tunisia, will visit China this week, according to Beijing’s foreign ministry.
From May 28 to June 1, these leaders will “pay state visits to China and attend the opening ceremony of the 10th Ministerial Conference of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum,” stated foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying.
The delegation will include Bahrain’s King Hamad, Tunisian President Kais Saied, and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
This meeting with Arab leaders in Beijing is part of China’s efforts to position itself as a mediator in the conflict between the Palestinian militant group Hamas and Israel.
China has historically supported the Palestinian cause and advocated for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
President Xi Jinping has called for an “international peace conference” to address the conflict. In November, Beijing hosted a meeting of foreign ministers from the Palestinian Authority, Indonesia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan to discuss “de-escalation” of the current Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
On October 7, Hamas attacked southern Israel, resulting in over 1,170 deaths, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures. Militants also took 252 hostages, with 121 still in Gaza, including 37 who the army says are dead.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has resulted in at least 35,984 deaths in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to the health ministry of the Hamas-run territory.
