Chinese foreign minister to visit Egypt, talks on Gaza expected

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) — China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi is scheduled to visit Egypt on Saturday, Beijing announced on Thursday, amid Israel's ongoing war in Gaza.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said Wang will visit the capital Cairo at the invitation of Egypt, which shares the critical Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip.

The trip comes as the death toll from Israel's ongoing onslaught against the Palestinian enclave has risen to more than 23,300, mostly women and children, since Oct. 7.

Around 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas offensive.

The two sides are expected to discuss possible cease-fire in the besieged Gaza Strip.

- Attacks in Red Sea

In UN Security Council discussions on attacks on ships in the Red Sea by Yemeni Houthi rebels, China's Ambassador Zhang Jun underlined the link between that situation and the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

Current tensions in the Red Sea "are one of the manifestations of the spillover effects of the conflict in Gaza," he told the council, which adopted a resolution condemning and demanding an immediate halt to the attacks.

It was the second time at the UN that China linked the fighting in Gaza with attacks in the Red Sea.

According to Mao, the Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Wang will continue his six-day Africa tour with Tunisia, Togo, and the Ivory Coast.

"This is the 34th consecutive year that Africa has been the destination of Chinese foreign ministers' annual first overseas visit," Mao said.

After concluding his scheduled trip to Africa, Wang will travel to Brazil and Jamaica between Jan. 18-22 upon the invitation of the two Latin American nations, she added.