Foreign minister: Beijing backs Middle East peace

China never pursues geopolitical interests or a sphere of influence in the Middle East but will play a role in promoting peace, stability and development in the region, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Wednesday.

The country never interferes in the domestic affairs of Middle Eastern countries but will make independent judgments on what is right or wrong in specific issues and uphold justice and fairness.

Wang made the remarks when meeting foreign guests at a twoday forum on security issues in the Middle East held in Beijing.

The forum, the first of its kind, represents the concrete implementation of President Xi Jinping's vision to conduct more dialogue and consultation on security between China and Arab states in his speech at the Eighth Ministerial Conference of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum in July last year.

Emphasizing that long-lasting peace in the Middle East is a common concern of the region's nations and the international community, Wang advocated the establishment of a new security concept featuring common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable elements.

According to Assistant Foreign Minister Chen Xiaodong, China has provided about 2 billion yuan ($285 million) in assistance to countries like Palestine and Syria, and currently has more than 1,800 peacekeepers in the Middle East in areas such as Lebanon.

Since 2002, China also has appointed five special envoys for the Middle East, and they have made nearly 70 visits and participated in nearly 600 meetings, Chen said.

At the forum's opening ceremony, Chen called on the international community to listen to the concerns and needs of Middle Eastern countries, take concrete steps to help enhance their counterterrorism capacity and squeeze the space of terrorist and extremist forces.

Chen added that the international community should oppose double standards in cracking down on terrorism, linking terrorism to any specific religion or slandering other countries' counterterrorism efforts or fight against extremism using the pretext of human rights.

He criticized the United States for pursuing a selfish and unilateralist policy that sides with the strong at the expense of the weak in the region, which has been a prominent issue in the region's security dilemma.

The stability and security of the greater Middle East has become a major regional and international responsibility that affects world peace, and it requires more common efforts, former Iraqi prime minister Ayad Allawi said.

China has always sided with the Arab people and sided with justice and fairness, he said, adding, "We particularly commend China for its support of the Palestinian issue, which is a core concern for us."

There has never been a conflict between China and the Middle East and they have experienced thousands of years of friendship, said Jawad Anani, former deputy prime minister of Jordan.

"We hope China will play a bigger role in the political and economic security of the region," he said.