Next China: Diplomatic Limits
Xi Jinping greets Chuck Schumer at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Oct. 9.
Photographer: Andy Wong/AFP/Getty Images
Hello, this is Colum Murphy in Beijing.
President Xi Jinping’s willingness to wade into the Middle East’s most contentious and longstanding conflicts is exposing the limits to his peacemaking prowess.
That was on full display this week after Xi’s government failed to condemn the surprise Oct. 7 attack by Hamas on Israel, an assault that killed at least 1,200 civilians and threatens to engulf the region in war.
While China’s Foreign Ministry later said it was “saddened” by the casualties, Beijing hasn’t criticized Hamas in its statements. The Asian country has instead repeated a long-standing call for a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict, adding that it’s a “friend to both” sides.