Beijing announces China-Arab States Summit for 2026
President Xi Jinping on Thursday announced that China would host the second China-Arab States Summit in 2026, adding it would be another milestone in Beijing's relations with the Middle East region. Xi made the announcement as he delivered a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the 10th ministerial meeting of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum in Beijing. President Xi also called for a peace conference on the war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas as he addressed Arab leaders and diplomats. China is this week hosting Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and several other Arab leaders for a forum at which discussions on the war in Gaza were expected. Addressing the delegations, Xi said China supported a "broad-based" peace conference to resolve the conflict. "The Middle East is a land bestowed with broad prospects for development, but the war is still raging on it," Xi said. "War should not continue indefinitely. Justice should not be absent forever," he added. Xi also said China supports Palestine's full membership of the United Nations.(Xinhua/AFP)