Chinese FM to chair UNSC Middle East debate

BEIJING, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will on Sunday chair the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) open debate on "The Situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian Question" and deliver remarks via video link, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying announced here Sunday.

China, as the rotating presidency of the UNSC in May, has pushed the UNSC to hold two rounds of urgent consultations on the Palestine-Israel conflict and drafted a UNSC press statement, Hua said.

In recent days, the conflict between Palestine and Israel has caused many casualties, and regional tensions have further escalated, Hua said.

Through this open debate, China hopes to encourage all parties to stop hostilities immediately and resume political dialogue as soon as possible, said Hua.

China also hopes the meeting will push the international community, especially the Security Council, to play an active role in easing tensions and resolving the Middle East issue through political means, she added.