China says Hamas and Fatah sign ‘Beijing declaration’ on Palestinian unity

China did not immediately release the text of what they called the “Beijing declaration” or the full list of Palestinian leaders who took part in negotiations hosted by Wang Yi, the Chinese foreign minister.

In a speech after talks had ended, Wang called the meeting a “historic moment for the cause of Palestine’s liberation.”

“The standout highlight is consensus around establishing an interim national reconciliation government to manage Gaza after the war,” Wang said.

He restated China’s support for a “comprehensive, lasing and sustainable cease-fire” and for the convening of a large “international peace conference” to work toward a two-state solution.

Photos from the talks showed Wang talking to Mahmoud al-Aloul, vice chairman of the central committee of Fatah, and Mussa Abu Marzuk, a senior member of Hamas. Wang said that ambassadors from Egypt, Russia and Algeria also attended the meetings.

An earlier attempt by Beijing to broker talks in April concluded without a joint statement, but the negotiations nevertheless help the Chinese Communist Party portray itself as an international mediator at a time of intense rivalry with the United States, including in the field of diplomacy.

Beijing last year brokered a détente between Iran and Saudi Arabia last year, forcing Washington into the awkward position of applauding a major Middle East accord secured by its main geopolitical rival. It has also tried to present itself as a broker in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, promoting a 12-point proposal for ending it.

In June, Chinese diplomats shunned Swiss-hosted talks to end the war in Ukraine, claiming that the meeting was politically motivated and pointless unless Russia was present. Beijing, alongside Brazil, instead proposed a separate agenda for reaching a negotiated settlement.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba will arrive in Beijing on Tuesday for talks with his Chinese counterpart, in which he hopes to enlist Chinese support to put an end to Russian aggression.