On April 27, Gong Jiong, an expert at China Forum under Tsinghua University’s Center for International Security and Strategy and vice president for research, UIBE Israel, spoke to i24NEWS on the evacuation mission of China’s naval force in Sudan and China’s Middle East policy after the resumption of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

As the civil war in Sudan escalated, the Chinese military sent naval vessels to Sudan on April 26 to evacuate Chinese citizens from the war-torn African nation, said Professor Gong. Groups of Chinese nationals were safely evacuated from Port Sudan and across the Eritrean and Ethiopian borders.

China’s diplomatic efforts in recent months have focused on advancing peace, Professor Gong noted. It has played an important role in brokering the restoration of diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, and has been working to bring the Palestinians and Israelis to the table. Just the day before, Chinese President Xi Jinping had a phone call with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky, in which they exchanged views on the bilateral ties and the Ukraine crisis. China is committed to promoting world peace and security, and looks forward to continued progress in these efforts, said Gong.

i24NEWS is an Israeli-based international news television channel located in Tel Aviv, Israel. It broadcasts in French, English, and Arabic. 

Watch the interview here: 

https://wmshareeurope.blob.core.windows.net/d41f8c50-6a37-11eb-9439-0242ac130002/28062044055-hdtv.mp4