China's UN envoy visits Gaza-Egypt crossing

China's top envoy to the United Nations on Monday made a field trip to the Rafah crossing, the only border crossing between Gaza and Egypt.

Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the UN, joined ambassadors from Security Council members on the visit organized by the United Arab Emirates, aiming to assess the humanitarian situation and challenges faced by the Palestinian people.

The delegation engaged in a series of briefings by Egyptian and UAE agencies on the ongoing efforts to provide humanitarian and medical assistance.

The visit also included discussions with heads of UN agencies and on-site inspections of key facilities, such as the border crossing, humanitarian warehouses, hospitals and desalinated water plants, according to a news release by China's mission to the UN.

"Paid a field trip to Rafah today with Security Council colleagues. A great initiative by the UAE Mission to UN," Zhang said on the social media platform X on Monday.

"We saw the long queue of trucks waiting for passage to Gaza. We met with medical workers who were helping the Palestinians with courage and dedication," he said. "We heard the strong voice calling for peace from the young volunteers. We discussed with UN humanitarian teams on the ground the serious situation they are facing."

"The war must stop now. We must also double our humanitarian efforts to help the Palestinians who are struggling with the unprecedented catastrophe in Gaza," Zhang said on X.

"Esteemed Zhang Jun, our world needs more peace and fewer wars. Let's find ways to peacefully dialog instead of conflict so we can bring understanding and harmony. May the future be free from war, granting generations hope in a peaceful world," said one comment under his post.

Zhang also conveyed his appreciation to Egypt, the UAE and UN agencies for "their proactive measures in assisting the Palestinian people during a critical period", according to the news release.

Zhang said that China has been "making unremitting efforts to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict at an early date and has provided urgent humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian side".

China will continue to urge the Security Council to play a responsible role in making the realization of a cease-fire a matter of the utmost urgency on the one hand while promoting the expansion of humanitarian access on the other, so as to alleviate the suffering endured by the Palestinian people, he said.

Monday's tour came at a critical juncture as the UN on Friday did not adopt a draft resolution that demands a humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza. The US vetoed the resolution and said that it does "not support calls for an immediate cease-fire".

"While the United States strongly supports the durable peace, in which both Israelis and Palestinians can live in peace and security, we do not support calls for an immediate cease-fire," Robert Wood, alternate permanent representative of the US to the UN, said at the meeting on Friday.

"This would only plant the seeds for the next war because Hamas has no desire to see a durable peace to see a two-state solution," he said.

minluzhang@chinadailyusa.com