BEIJING, May 29, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - China on Wednesday hosts a litany of Arab
dignitaries and diplomats ahead of a forum Beijing hopes will deepen ties
with the region and present a "common voice" on the conflict between Israel
and Hamas.

Beijing has sought to build closer ties with Arab states in recent years, and
last year brokered a detente between Tehran and its long-time foe Saudi
Arabia.

It has also historically been sympathetic to the Palestinian cause and
supportive of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

And Beijing last month hosted rival Palestinian groups Hamas and Fatah for
"in-depth and candid talks on promoting intra-Palestinian reconciliation".

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin
Zayed Al Nahyan, as well as a host of other regional leaders and diplomats,
are among the delegates attending the forum.

President Xi Jinping is set to deliver a keynote speech at the opening
ceremony on Thursday, Beijing has said, aimed at building "common consensus"
between China and Arab states.

Top of the agenda will be the war between Israel and Hamas, which Xi has
called for an "international peace conference" to resolve.

China sees a "strategic opportunity to boost its reputation and standing in
the Arab world" by framing its efforts to end that conflict against US
inaction, Ahmed Aboudouh, an associate fellow with the Chatham House Middle
East and North Africa Programme, told AFP.

"This, in turn, serves Beijing's focus on undermining the US's credibility
and influence in the region," he said.

"The longer the war, the easier for China to pursue this objective," he
added.

On Tuesday, Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with counterparts from Yemen and
Sudan in Beijing, saying he hoped to "strengthen solidarity and coordination"
with the Arab world.

He also raised China's concerns over disruptive attacks on Red Sea shipping
by Iran-backed Huthi forces acting in solidarity with Hamas with his Yemeni
counterpart Shayea Mohsen al-Zindani.

"China calls for an end to the harassment of civilian vessels and to ensure
the safety of waterways in the Red Sea," state news agency Xinhua quoted him
as saying.