As Israeli air strikes began raining down on Lebanon last week, China moved quickly to condemn the latest escalation of fighting in the Middle East.Meeting his Lebanese counterpart on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi pledged that Beijing would stand “on the side of justice and the side of Arab brothers, including with Lebanon”.
“We pay close attention to the development of the regional situation, especially the recent explosion of communication equipment in Lebanon, and firmly oppose indiscriminate attacks on civilians,” Wang Yi told Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib, according to China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Wang’s comments reflected what many observers have come to expect from Beijing in its statements on the Israel-Palestine conflict since the start of the war in Gaza almost a year ago.
From calling for a ceasefire and a “two-state solution” within days of Hamas’s October 7 attacks on Israel, Beijing has moved steadily closer to explicitly aligning itself with Palestine and the greater Arab world.
At the same time, Chinese state media and officials have been quick to blame the United States for its unwavering support of Israel, though Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described Israel-China ties as a “marriage made in heaven” as rece …
