China and Egypt have agreed on the need to promote peace in the Middle East following the ouster of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad after a lightning offensive spearheaded by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group and its allies.

China’s foreign minister Wang Yi told his Egyptian counterpart on Friday that Beijing is “deeply concerned” about the situation in Syria, as the two top diplomats met in the Chinese capital.

Mr Al-Assad fled the country after the offensive, bringing a sudden end to decades of repressive rule by his clan.

Beijing and Damascus built strong ties during Assad’s reign, and the former Syrian leader came to China last year on a rare visit outside the Middle East, meeting President Xi Jinping and establishing a “strategic partnership.”

On Friday, Mr Wang and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty held a joint press conference at Beijing’s Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, wrapping up a two-day trip for “strategic dialogue.”

“The two sides are deeply concerned about the current situation in Syria and call for respect for Syria’s sovereignty,” Mr Wang told journalists, urging the prevention of “terrorist and extremist forces from taking advantage of the chaos.”

The collapse of Mr Assad’s administration closes an era in which suspected dissidents were jailed or killed and caps nearly 14 years of war that killed more than 500,000 people and displaced millions.

“We agreed that we should promote peace and negotiations in order to achieve peace and stability in the Middle East,” Mr Wang said alongside Abdelatty.

Mr Wang also mentioned the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip, where a war between Israel and Hamas has persisted for more than 14 months and sparked an acute humanitarian crisis.

Beijing is a traditional supporter of Palestinian statehood and has urged Israel to end humanitarian disasters in Gaza.

“Since the outbreak of the Gaza conflict last year, the situation in the Middle East has become like one wave after another,” Mr Wang said. “Conflicts have occurred frequently, seriously affecting international peace and security.”

He added, “Where the Middle East is headed is first of all a must-answer question facing Middle Eastern countries, and the international community needs to seriously reflect on it and learn lessons.”

(Reuters/NAN)