China urges Israel to halt and reverse West Bank settlement expansion
China's foreign minister has told Israel to stop and reverse what Beijing described as the "forced establishment" of West Bank settlements. The remarks were delivered during a meeting in Azerbaijan with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, according to a statement from China's foreign ministry. Wang Yi also said the Palestinian question is "the greatest historical injustice of this century," underscoring the diplomatic weight Beijing is giving to the issue.
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The ministry said Wang stressed that the two-state solution remains the right path to resolving the conflict. He also called for the Gaza Strip to be fully opened to access, warning that a humanitarian catastrophe should not be allowed to spread. In the same statement, Wang said China is willing to work with the international community to push all parties back to dialogue as soon as possible and seek a political settlement.
The meeting took place in Baku, where Wang is attending the Seventh Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia as the special representative of President Xi Jinping. The timing places the comments within a broader period of heightened regional tension and active Chinese diplomacy in the Middle East. Beijing has been seeking a larger role in regional affairs while also presenting itself as a supporter of political solutions rather than military escalation.
The comments matter because West Bank settlement expansion remains one of the most contentious issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. China's public call to halt and reverse settlement activity adds to international pressure on Israel at a time when access to Gaza and the future of negotiations remain unresolved. By framing the issue as a historical injustice and linking it to the two-state solution, Beijing is signalling that it sees the conflict as part of a wider political and humanitarian crisis.
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The statement also fits into a pattern of recent Chinese engagement on Middle East disputes. In September, Xi Jinping visited Cairo and called on Middle East countries to oppose external influence and consider reshaping the region's security order. China has also criticised US and Israeli attacks on Iran and has urged diplomatic solutions in that conflict, reflecting a broader effort to position itself as a mediator on regional security questions.
What remains unclear is whether the exchange in Azerbaijan will lead to any immediate diplomatic follow-up or change in policy. The statement did not provide details of Herzog's response, and it is not clear whether the talks produced any concrete commitments. For now, the key issues to watch are whether Beijing repeats the message publicly, whether Israel responds, and whether the call for full Gaza access gains wider support.
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