China to host Arab leaders this week, with Israeli-Palestinian conflict on agenda

BEIJING, China — China will host Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi as well as a number of other Arab leaders in Beijing this week, its foreign ministry said Monday.

The leaders will, from Tuesday to Saturday, “pay state visits to China and attend the opening ceremony of the 10th Ministerial Conference of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said in a statement.

Also among the delegation will be Bahrain’s King Hamad, Tunisian President Kais Saied, and the United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Speaking at a press conference in Beijing, Vice Foreign Minister Deng Li said President Xi Jinping would attend the forum and deliver a keynote address on Thursday.

Xi would also “hold talks with the four heads of state respectively to exchange views on bilateral relations and regional and international issues of common concern,” Deng said. READ MORE