Chinese diplomat Wang Kejian has met with Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Qatar, CNN reports, the first official meeting between Beijing and Hamas since the outbreak of the war in Gaza in October 2023. Earlier, Wang visited Israel and the West Bank.
According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, “Haniyeh and Wang exchanged views on the Gaza conflict and other issues.” Chinese Ambassador to Qatar, Cao Xiaolin, also attended the meeting.
Haniyeh “praised the role of China in the Security Council, the United Nations, and the International Court of Justice.”
“Beijing aims to be seen as a peace broker and has become increasingly vocal in its opposition to the war in Gaza,” CNN writes. Beijing also uses the conflict to display its solidarity with the Arab world.
Illustration: Micha Brändli on Unsplash
