China welcomes Arab and Muslim foreign ministers for talks on ending the war in Gaza

China’s top diplomat welcomed four Arab foreign ministers and the Indonesian one to Beijing, saying his country would work with “our brothers and sisters” in the Arab and Islamic world to try to end the war in Gaza as soon as possible. The ministers from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the Palestinian Authority and Indonesia chose to start a tour of world capitals in Beijing, a testament to both China’s growing geopolitical influence and its longstanding support for the Palestinians. They are joined Monday by the secretary general of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. China has long backed the Palestinians and been quick to denounce Israel over its settlements in the occupied territories.