Photo: CFP

China has been making active efforts to ease the tension in the Red Sea from the very beginning, calling for an end to the attacks on civilian ships and urging relevant parties to avoid adding fuel to the tension in the Red Sea, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in an interview with the media after concluding his trip to Africa. 

Wang also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, had recently concluded his visits to Egypt, Tunisia, Togo and Cote d'Ivoire from January 13 to 18.

During his visit to Africa, Wang said he communicated and coordinated with the Arab side on dealing with the spillover effects of the Gaza conflict, especially in maintaining the security of the Red Sea shipping route. 

"We should jointly uphold the security on the sea lanes of the Red Sea in accordance with the law and also respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the countries along the Red Sea coast, including Yemen," Wang said during the interview with Chinese media on Friday.

Additionally, Wang held in-depth communication with Egypt, Tunisia, and the League of Arab States Secretary-General on the Palestinian question. Wang said the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been going on for over a hundred days, resulting in large-scale casualties among innocent civilians and a severe humanitarian crisis. 

China has actively advocated and strongly condemned all acts that harm civilians, opposed any practices that violate international law, and supported all efforts aimed at preventing the escalation of the conflict and promoting the restoration of peace. 

Arab and Islamic countries highly appreciate China's position. The ordinary people we encountered on the streets also praised China's just stance and hoped that China would continue to promote a ceasefire and alleviate the humanitarian crisis, Wang noted. 

The Chinese foreign minister underscored that the Palestinian question has always been at the core of the Middle East issue, which is related to the peace and stability of the Middle East and challenges human moral conscience. 

China firmly supports the just cause of the Palestinian people in restoring their legitimate national rights and firmly supports the long-cherished wish of the Palestinians to achieve independent statehood. Justice may be delayed, but it should not be absent forever, he said. 

China also calls for the convening of a more extensive, larger-scale, and more effective international conference as soon as possible. 

Regardless of how the regional and international situation changes, China will continue to firmly stand on the side of peace and justice and make unremitting efforts to promote security and stability in the Middle East, Wang said.

Global Times