China prepares for Belt and Road summit under shadow of Israel-Gaza war

China prepared on Monday to host representatives of 130 countries for a forum that will be overshadowed by the Israel-Gaza war, as an increasingly assertive Beijing is asked to help de-escalate the violence. Beijing has been criticised by Western officials for not specifically naming Hamas in its statements on the Israel-Gaza conflict.

A number of leaders have already arrived in Beijing ahead of the two-day forum, which kicks off Tuesday. Among them are Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Chilean President Gabriel Boric, Kenyan President William Ruto and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

At the top of the invite list to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) forum is Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, on his first trip to a major global power since the Ukraine invasion threw his regime into international isolation.

This year, trade between China and Russia has soared to levels not seen since the beginning of Moscow’s war in Ukraine, with Chinese imports of Russian oil offering Moscow a critical lifeline as international sanctions bite.

MORE >> Upcoming Belt and Road summit, an article by the Indian news site The Hindu.