Beijing China:

China will become a force for global peace and stability, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Thursday at a wide-ranging news conference, where he denounced U.S. “repression” and expressed support for the Palestinians.

Wang Yi told reporters that in the face of a complex and turbulent international environment, China will persist in being a force for world peace, stability, and progress.

Wang met the media on Thursday on the sidelines of China’s largest annual political rally, which opened in Beijing earlier this week.

The “Two Sessions” – parallel meetings of China’s rubber-stamp parliament and political consultative body – offer a rare glimpse into the Communist Party-led government’s strategy for the year ahead.

With tensions continuing across the Taiwan Strait and Russia’s war in Ukraine entering its third year, this year’s meeting is being closely watched for signals about Chinese leaders’ confidence in current geopolitical conditions.

China’s expanding political influence has caused friction on many fronts, and Wang’s news conference came after Southeast Asian and Australian leaders this week warned China of actions in the South China Sea that “endanger peace.”

China has increasingly flexed its muscles in the South China Sea, which it claims almost entirely despite an international arbitration ruling that declares its position unfounded.

On Tuesday, a Chinese Coast Guard ship was accused of harassing a Philippine convoy on a resupply mission.

“We firmly oppose all acts of bullying and resolutely safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests,” Wang Yi said on Thursday.

He lashed out at Washington’s efforts to “suppress China,” saying “the desire to accuse under any pretext has reached an incredible level.”

“New Paradigm”

When asked about the ongoing conflict in Gaza, Wang reiterated China’s support for the Palestinians and said Beijing supports the Palestinian state becoming a full member of the United Nations.

“The disaster in Gaza once again reminds the world that the fact that the Palestinian territories have been occupied for a long time can no longer be ignored,” Wang said.

The long-cherished wish of the Palestinian people to establish an independent state cannot be evaded, and the historical injustice suffered by the Palestinian people cannot be passed down from generation to generation.

Beijing has called for an immediate ceasefire since the war between Israel and Hamas broke out in October.

Wang also defended Beijing’s close ties with Moscow on Thursday, saying “China and Russia have set a new paradigm for major power relations that is completely different from the old Cold War era.”

The senior diplomat said the bilateral relationship is based on “non-alignment, non-confrontation and non-targeting of third parties”.

Western powers criticized Beijing for refusing to condemn Moscow’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

China says it is a neutral party in the war in Ukraine, but its strategic partnership with Russia has grown closer since the war began.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)