China and Indonesia have pledged to strengthen economic ties and maintain peace and stability in the region, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Thursday after a meeting with his Indonesian counterpart, Retno Marsudi, in Jakarta.

According to Reuters, Wang also called for all parties in the Gaza conflict to exercise restraint, and said the United States should support a United Nations resolution for a ceasefire in Gaza.

“Both ministers expressed resentment over the humanitarian disaster due to the Palestine-Israel conflict. We agree that the UN Security Council resolution on a ceasefire must be fully implemented and without any condition,” Wang said after the meeting, in remarks that were translated into Indonesian.

Wang urged the United States to “listen to the international community” amid concerns over the escalating conflict in the Middle East. “The UN Security Council is a collective security mechanism that must not be used by a certain country,” Wang said.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said she hoped China would “would use its influence to prevent escalation” in Gaza, emphasising the need for a two-state solution.

 China’s FM Wang Yi (L) and Indonesia’s FM Retno Marsudi attend a press conference after their bilateral meeting at the Foreign Ministry office in Jakarta on April 18. — AFP
China’s FM Wang Yi (L) and Indonesia’s FM Retno Marsudi attend a press conference after their bilateral meeting at the Foreign Ministry office in Jakarta on April 18. — AFP

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