PRESS RELEASE
Chinese Foreign Minister Urges World To Bring Development to Middle East To Secure Peace and Development
June 25, 2017 (EIRNS)—Fresh from his 12th visit to Africa, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Jordan and Lebanon on June 22-23, to discuss with leaders of both countries means to finally secure peace for their region, focusing in particular on resolving the crises in Palestine and Syria.
China has clearly made itself an important "player" in the region, offering cooperation on economic development, and adding its weight to efforts to end the wars and terrorism which have created misery and inhuman refugee crises.
External interventions and conflicting geopolitical interests escalate tensions; the international community must dedicate more attention and efforts to support development in the Middle East, in order to address the threat of terrorism more effectively, Wang said in a press conference in Jordan after his meetings with King Abdullah II and other officials on June 22, the Jordan Times reported.
Among the most interesting areas for increased economic cooperation with Jordan reported, is the establishment of a Jordanian-Chinese technical university.
In Lebanon, where Wang met with President Michel Aoun, Prime Minister Saad Hariri, Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, and others, the great Belt and Road Initiative was at the center of discussions. Xinhua reports that Aoun praised China’s Belt and Road Initiative, and said Lebanon is ready to actively participate. Aoun thanked China for what it has done for the stability of Lebanon and the Middle East, and welcomed more investment from China in the region. For his part, Wang called Lebanon "an important station on the old Silk Road," and said "we welcome Lebanon’s support and participation in the Belt and Road initiative." Wang pointed to Lebanon’s policy of keeping national unity and maintain security and stability through dialogue and negotiations, as "providing useful experiences in how different civilizations could coexist peacefully."
In his Beirut press conference with Lebanon’s Foreign Minister Bassil, Wang addressed the refugee crises, for both Palestinians and Syrians.
"As the situation in Syria gradually becomes stable, Syrian refugees who are compelled to flee to various places should go back to their homeland and rebuild their homeland. Refugees are not migrants. The refugees’ direction is to go back to their country again, which is every refugee’s wish from the bottom of their heart.... China will work hard with Lebanon and every country to play a constructive role in this direction,"
CGTN, China’s TV network, quoted Wang as saying.
"Solving the refugee problem thoroughly requires developing and improving people’s livelihood to create a necessary environment for the refugees to get rid of poverty,"
he argued.
