China and Russia push for Israel-Gaza ceasefire and two-state solution as foreign ministers vow to boost Brics influence

In diplomatic call, Wang Yi and Sergey Lavrov address priority items on the international agenda, including the Ukraine war and Mideast conflict
On the same day, Chinese President Xi Jinping holds video call with Finnish counterpart who stressed China’s role bringing about just and lasting peace

China-Middle East relations

Zhao Ziwen

Published: 3:57pm, 11 Jan 2024

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China and Russia will work together to “enhance the international influence of Brics”, a group of 10 developing economies, as Russia takes the chair this year, according to readouts of a phone call between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on Wednesday.

The two sides will also step up communication and coordination relating to the Israel-Gaza war to push for an immediate ceasefire and the smooth delivery of humanitarian aid.

China and Russia should also make a joint effort towards realising a two-state solution, a framework supported by the United Nations that would see the creation of the independent state of Palestine alongside the state of Israel, Wang said, according to a readout from China’s foreign ministry.

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“China fully supports Russia, which assumes Brics chairmanship this year, in hosting a successful Brics summit, and stands ready to make joint efforts with Russia to enhance the international influence of Brics, and lift Brics cooperation to a new level,” the readout said.

Russia is set to host the Brics summit in the western city of Kazan in October under the slogan “Strengthening multilateralism for equitable global development and security”.

According to the Chinese readout, Lavrov said Russia was willing to work with China to promote Brics cooperation and was willing to strengthen communication and coordination on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict to safeguard peace and stability in the Middle East.

In echoing Lavrov’s sentiment, Wang urged both countries to make a joint effort towards a two-state solution.

A readout from Moscow said the two foreign ministers touched on a number of priority items on the international agenda, including the Ukraine war, while underscoring their rejection of “the Western bloc’s confrontational policy towards Russia and China”. However, Beijing’s readout did not mention the Russia-Ukraine war.

Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Moscow in March, while his counterpart Vladimir Putin visited Beijing for the belt and road forum in October.

Wang said Beijing “firmly believes” Russia will complete its “important domestic political agenda and maintain stability and development” in the country, potentially referring to Russia’s general election in March that could secure another term for Putin.

Russia’s economy has not suffered the serious recession that was predicted and was reported to have fallen 2.1 per cent in 2022. Moscow said its economy rose by 5.5 per cent in the third quarter of 2023 year on year, and Russia is expected to see full-year growth of 3.5 per cent.

China is a key player in Russia’s economy in the face of sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union.

According to the Finland-based Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, China, India, South Korea and Turkey were the top four buyers of Russian coal by November after the EU imposed sanctions in 2022.

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The data showed China, India and the EU were the top buyers of Russian crude oil, while the EU led the buying of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG), followed by China.

Trade value between China and Russia reached the US$200 billion target and even hit a record US$230 billion for the year, Putin told the annual Results of the Year news conference last month.

Lavrov said Moscow and Beijing were closely discussing other regional economic plans, such as cooperation between China’s Belt and Road Initiative and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), an economic union of former Soviet Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

On the same day as the Wang-Lavrov phone call, Xi held a video call with his Finnish counterpart Sauli Niinisto whose country shares a border with Russia. During the call Niinisto stressed China’s role in bringing about a just and lasting peace amid the Ukraine war.

Xi said China was willing to work with European countries, including Finland, to “see each other from a strategic and long-term perspective”, and to maintain and develop the China-European relationship, according to state-owned broadcaster CCTV.