EXPERT COMMENT
But China's ‘anti-Western neutrality' will have little more benefit in Israel than it has in Ukraine.
China's position on the war in Gaza is controversial and ambiguous to many observers. Beijing has criticized Israel's blanket bombardment of civilians and condemned violations of international law.
President Xi Jinping waited until after the Third Belt and Road Forum to comment on the crisis, reiterating China's long-held position that a two-state solution should be implemented and calling for a humanitarian corridor to allow aid into the besieged Gaza Strip.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi went further, describing Israel's bombardment of civilians in Gaza as actions that ‘have gone beyond the scope of self-defence'. At the same time, Beijing avoided condemning Hamas's atrocities against civilians.
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