Chinese FM tells Herzog that Israel should stop ‘forced establishment’ of settlements

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Israeli President Isaac Herzog that Israel should stop and reverse its 'forced establishment' of West Bank settlements, according to a Chinese foreign ministry statement. The meeting occurred on the sidelines of the CICA summit in Baku. Herzog's office confirmed the meeting but declined to comment on the settlement discussion.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Israeli President Isaac Herzog that Israel should stop and reverse its 'forced establishment' of West Bank settlements, China's foreign ministry said in a statement released Friday. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) summit in Baku, Azerbaijan. Wang told Herzog that China has consistently held that the Palestinian question is the greatest historical injustice of this century, and that promoting peace and reconciliation is the cornerstone of China's Middle East policy. He said Beijing believes the two-state solution is the right path and that the immediate priority is to fully open access to the Gaza Strip to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe. Herzog's office confirmed the meeting on Thursday to discuss bilateral relations with an emphasis on economic, trade, and cultural ties, but declined to comment on discussions about the West Bank or Palestinians. During his address to the summit, Herzog called for expanding Israel's diplomatic and economic ties with Asian nations, stating that peace cannot exist with terror and cooperation cannot thrive with boycotts. He also hailed the Abraham Accords. Representatives from Iran, Pakistan, Turkey, the Palestinian Authority and Kuwait left the hall when Herzog began his speech. Wang also voiced continued support for the Palestinians in a separate meeting with the Palestinian Authority's representative.