China's State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi

There has never been a "power vacuum" in the Middle East and there is no need for "foreign patriarch" to interfere in the region, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Saturday after meeting with Foreign Ministers of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Turkey and Iran and Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

From January 10 to Saturday, Wang held talks with Foreign Ministers of the six Middle Eastern countries and GCC Secretary General in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province.

Wang said that facts have repeatedly proven that the international community may contribute to stability in the Middle East but should not make things worse. The Middle East can use external models for reference, but should not directly copy those models. "Neoliberalism" is not a panacea, Wang noted. 

Moreover, they all see China as a stabilizing force for international peace and security and have a stronger political will to develop relations with China, Wang said. In the face of unilateralism and protectionism, they all regard China as a sincere friend to strengthen solidarity and cooperation among developing countries. They hope to jointly uphold multilateralism, safeguard equity and justice and oppose hegemonism with China, Wang stressed.

The guests admired the success of socialism with Chinese characteristics and spoke highly of China's positive role in international and regional affairs. They also wished the Beijing Winter Olympic Games success and that the event will bring more joy and confidence to the world amid the epidemic, Wang said. 

There is still a long way to go to uphold peace and promote development in the Middle East, Wang pointed out, and China's efforts to maintain stability and promote peace have never stopped and will never stop.

Global Times