Middle-East Powder Keg? After US, Now China Deploys Warships | Beijing Backs Israel’s ‘Self-Defence’

In a first, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi acknowledged that Israel has the right to self-defence against Hamas. Wang also reiterated that “every country has the right to self-defence but should abide by international humanitarian law and protect civilians” while talking to Israeli counterpart Eli Cohen in a telephone call on Monday. In a separate call, Wang told Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki that China “deeply sympathises with the difficult situation of the Palestinian side, especially the people of Gaza.” Last week, China’s president, Xi Jinping, called for an immediate ceasefire while offering to coordinate with Egypt and other Arab nations “to push for a comprehensive, just, and lasting solution to the Palestinian issue as soon as possible.” Watch what China stands to gain from the Israel-Palestine war.