Xi says China to work with Egypt to help stabilise Middle East

Chinese President Xi Jinping told Egypt's prime minister on Thursday that their countries should work together to bring "more stability" to the Middle East, as Israel's war on Gaza casts a shadow over the region.

The conflict has raged since Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a surprise assault into southern Israel on October 7, killing 1,400 people - most of them civilians - and taking around 200 hostages.

In response, Israel has launched a fierce and indiscriminate bombing campaign against the Gaza Strip, flattening entire districts, killing over 3,500 people and injuring 12,500.

It has imposed a total siege on the territory, cutting off food, water, and electricity and massed troops on its border ahead of an expected ground assault.

China has repeatedly backed a vague two-state proposal during the decades-long deadlock that preceded the war, but it has historically been sympathetic to the Palestinian cause - albeit in favour of the nationalist Palestine Liberation Organisation rather than Islamist Hamas.

Xi met Egypt's Mostafa Madbouli in Beijing on Thursday, repeating China's support for a "two-state solution... to realise the peaceful coexistence of Palestine and Israel," according to multiple state media outlets.

"China is willing to enhance cooperation with Egypt... and inject more certainty and stability into the region and the world," Xi was reported as saying.

Beijing was also willing to work with Cairo to "jointly safeguard international fairness and justice as well as the common interests of developing countries," he said.

Since the outbreak of hostilities, Egypt has mostly kept closed its border with Gaza, where the humanitarian situation has become increasingly desperate.

But Cairo said Thursday it would allow the "sustainable" passage of humanitarian aid into the enclave through the Rafah crossing.

China "appreciates the important role played by Egypt in de-escalating the situation and supports Egypt's efforts to open humanitarian corridors," Xi told Madbouli.

"It is crucial to prevent the conflict from expanding or even losing control and causing a serious humanitarian crisis," Xi said.

"The top priority is to cease fire and stop war at an early date," he added.

And after the United States vetoed a UN Security Council resolution on Wednesday calling for a "humanitarian pause," Beijing reiterated those calls for a cessation of violence.

"China is deeply disappointed in the United States' obstruction of the Security Council's adoption of a draft resolution on the Palestinian issue," foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said.

Mao called on the Security Council to "play its role in reaching a ceasefire and stopping the war."

Warming ties

Relations between China and Egypt have warmed in recent months, with Cairo set to become an official member of the recently expanded BRICS group of emerging economies from next year.

"China congratulates Egypt on joining the BRICS cooperation mechanism and believes that this will inject new impetus into BRICS cooperation," Xi said in his meeting with Madbouli.

"China and Egypt are good friends who share the same goals and trust each other, and good partners who work hand-in-hand for development and common prosperity", he said.

"At present, the international and regional situation is undergoing profound and complex changes, and the world is experiencing rapid transformations not seen for a century," Xi said.