China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi has urged Israel to cease its "forced establishment" of settlements in the West Bank and to reverse its actions. This statement was made during a face-to-face meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog on the sidelines of a conference in Azerbaijan on Thursday.
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Wang described the "Palestinian question" as "the greatest historical injustice of this century". Beijing has long supported the Palestinian cause and advocates for a "two-state solution" as the appropriate path forward. In recent years, China has positioned itself as a mediator in Middle Eastern conflicts, notably brokering a deal in 2023 to restore diplomatic ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia after years of hostility.
Earlier this year, China, alongside Pakistan, proposed a ceasefire in the ongoing US-Israel conflict against Iran. Beijing's approach to the war in Gaza has emphasized Palestinian unity, and in 2024, it facilitated an agreement among rival Palestinian factions to form an interim "national reconciliation government" for the occupied West Bank and Gaza, although this initiative was never implemented.
