Strengthening Joint Security – Middle East Aspirations and China’s Directions, by Ambassador Yang Xin

President Xi Jinping recently paid a successful state visit to Egypt, a significant diplomatic step by China toward the Middle East. During his visit to Egypt, His Excellency proposed a four-point initiative to enhance common security in the region: First, to activate the internal dynamics of common security in the region. The peoples of the Middle East should take charge of their own affairs, and regional countries should be supported in promoting dialogue on peace and security. Second, to advance integrated governance of common security in the region. There are numerous hot-button issues in the Middle East, interconnected by strong underlying factors, requiring comprehensive solutions. Third, to consolidate the peaceful foundations of common security in the region. Achieving lasting peace and security in the Middle East fundamentally depends on development. Fourth, to strengthen international coordination for common security in the region. The UN Charter and international law serve as the fundamental reference for addressing Middle Eastern affairs, and the United Nations should be supported in playing an effective role in regional matters.

China has always firmly stood on the side of peace and dialogue, on the right side of history, and has played a constructive role in safeguarding and promoting peace and stability in the Middle East. This initiative represents a new Chinese solution contributing to achieving lasting peace and stability in the Middle East, following President Xi Jinping’s four-point vision for safeguarding and promoting peace and stability in the region, and his four basic principles for advancing the settlement of the Palestinian issue. These important political propositions by President Xi Jinping place the fundamental interests of the region’s peoples at the core, balancing security and development, as well as the various legitimate security concerns of regional countries, thereby providing a practical path out of the security dilemma facing the Middle East and clearly defining the direction in which efforts should be directed.

The Middle East is currently witnessing ongoing wars, with the region still mired in a vortex of conflict. The Chinese side has tirelessly worked to halt the war and made maximum efforts to achieve peace, consistently emphasizing the necessity of resolving hot-button issues and disputes among regional parties through dialogue and negotiations, and opposing the use or threat of force. The Chinese side has reaffirmed the need for full respect for the sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity of Arab Gulf states, including Kuwait, and stressed the necessity of providing adequate protection for civilians and non-military targets, as well as ensuring the security of waterways and energy infrastructure.

Recently, Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and Minister of Foreign Affairs, emphasized during his meeting in Beijing with Foreign Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Jaber Al-Sabah that the current situation in the Middle East and the Gulf region is once again at a critical juncture. The old scenario of repeating the vortex of conflict must not recur, and a new chapter of stability and prosperity should be opened as soon as possible. The Chinese side consistently believes that regardless of how wide differences may be, solutions should be sought at the negotiating table rather than through military force, and steps toward ceasefire and preventing war should not be reversed.

The Chinese side hopes that the relevant parties will respond positively to the international community’s aspirations for peace, prioritize the well-being of the peoples of the region’s countries, and return to the path of dialogue and negotiation as soon as possible, with the highest priority being to de-escalate the situation. As the Arabic proverb goes, “The best words are those backed by actions.” The Chinese side will continue to translate the important political directions put forward by President Xi Jinping regarding the Middle East situation into concrete actions, and will work sincerely with Kuwait, other countries in the region, and the international community to advance the achievement of lasting peace and stability in the Middle East, contributing Chinese strength to realizing peace, stability, development, and prosperity in the region.