Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas arrives in China
BEIJING, China - Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas arrived in Beijing on Tuesday, state media reported, with China expressing readiness to help facilitate Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.
Abbas will stay until Friday, Beijing has said, on his fifth official visit to the world's second-largest economy.
Official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that Abbas would meet with President Xi Jinping during the trip, as well as Premier Li Qiang.
The two are expected to "exchange opinions... on the latest developments on the Palestinian arena as well as on regional and international issues of mutual concern", Wafa reported.
"China attaches great importance to the Palestinian issue and has always firmly supported the just cause of the Palestinian people to restore their legitimate national rights," Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang said Tuesday during a meeting with his Palestinian counterpart Riyad Al-Maliki.
"China will continue to support the peace talks, which are the right direction, and will bring Chinese wisdom and vigour to the resolution of the Palestinian issue." Long-time Palestinian leader Abbas is an "old and good friend of the Chinese people", foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said last week.
Beijing has sought to boost its ties in the Middle East, challenging long-standing US influence there -- efforts that have sparked unease in Washington.
President Xi last December visited Saudi Arabia on an Arab outreach trip that also saw him meet with Abbas and pledge to "work for an early, just and durable solution to the Palestinian issue".
And during a trip to Riyadh last week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Saudi Arabia was not being forced to choose between Washington and Beijing, striking a conciliatory tone following tensions with the long-time ally.
In an interview with Chinese state news agency Xinhua published this week, Palestinian official Abbas Zaki said China and the Palestinians were "friends closer than brothers".
"I am very pleased to see that China has been more involved in Middle East affairs after the China-Arab States Summit last year," he added. - AFP
