Chinese Foreign Minister to his Israeli counterpart: All countries have the right to defend themselves

China announced on Tuesday that its Foreign Minister had reaffirmed to his Israeli counterpart that "every country" has the right to self-defense in their first communication since the outbreak of the war between Israel and Hamas over two weeks ago.

In a statement, the Chinese Foreign Ministry quoted Minister Wang Yi telling his Israeli counterpart, Yair Lapid, that "all countries have the right to self-defense," emphasizing that these nations should also "adhere to international humanitarian law and protect the safety of civilians."

The Chinese Minister also assured his Israeli counterpart that Beijing would "make every effort" to support efforts "leading to peace."

China has not issued a clear condemnation of Hamas's attack.

Washington has expressed hope that the friendship between Beijing and Tehran, which supports Hamas, will help calm the war. China has acted as a mediator between Iran and Saudi Arabia earlier this year, leading to a surprising improvement in relations between the two rival nations.

According to a statement from the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Wang emphasized to Lapid that "the most urgent task now is to prevent the situation from deteriorating further and leading to a more serious humanitarian disaster."

The Chinese Minister also reiterated his country's stance, stating that "the two-state solution is the only practical way to end it."

Wang confirmed that Beijing "sincerely hopes that the Palestinian issue will be comprehensively and fairly resolved based on the 'two-state solution,' and that the legitimate security concerns of all parties are genuinely and deeply addressed."


AFP