Chinese FM Wang Yi Urges Isaac Herzog to Halt West Bank Settlements
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called on Israeli President Isaac Herzog to halt West Bank settlements during a tense meeting at the CICA summit in Baku.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged Israeli President Isaac Herzog to halt settlement expansion in the West Bank during a meeting on the sidelines of the CICA summit in Baku, according to Beijing's Foreign Ministry.
Tensions at the CICA Summit
According to a statement cited by Reuters, Wang Yi told Herzog that Israel must stop and reverse the construction of settlements in the West Bank. He added that Beijing consistently maintains the stance that the Palestinian issue represents the greatest historical injustice of this century.
The tense meeting took place during Herzog's visit to Azerbaijan's capital. The diplomatic atmosphere was heavily strained as representatives from Iran, Turkey, Pakistan, Kuwait, and the Palestinian Authority walked out of the plenary hall just moments before Herzog took the podium to deliver his address.
Diplomatic Engagements and Logistics
Despite the hostile environment, Herzog held constructive bilateral talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, focusing on strategic cooperation in security, energy, and technology. He also met with Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani to discuss strengthening the Abraham Accords.
Herzog's attendance was made possible by utilizing a commercial flight via Azerbaijan Airlines to bypass the airspace restrictions imposed by Turkey in 2024 on official Israeli state aircraft.
