Foreign Minister Wang Yi warns of ‘devouring’ Mideast violence as China convenes high-level UN meeting

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi warned the UN Security Council on Wednesday that a resumption of fighting between Israel and Palestinians threatens to “devour the whole region” as he called for a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire in Gaza.

China wraps up its rotating one-month presidency of the 15-member Security Council on Thursday that has been consumed by the emergency. Beijing’s growing focus on global diplomacy and outreach to Mideast countries was evidenced by its decision to dispatch one of its most senior diplomats from Beijing to chair a high-level session on the crisis.