"China firmly supports Lebanon in protecting its sovereignty, security and national dignity. No matter how the situation changes, we will always stand on the side of justice and our Arab brothers, including Lebanon," the Chinese Foreign Ministry quoted Wang Yi as saying on Tuesday.
Wang Yi stressed that China paid close attention to the developments in the region, especially the recent explosions of communications equipment in Lebanon, and resolutely opposed indiscriminate attacks on civilians.
According to the Chinese top diplomat, the law of brute force can only destroy peace, and the principle of "violence to restrain violence" will not resolve the Middle East conflict, but will only lead to an even greater humanitarian catastrophe. He added that the current situation in the region was a manifestation of the spread of the conflict in Gaza, and advocated the implementation of the "Two States for Two Peoples" plan.
The Chinese foreign minister also expressed hope that Beirut would take effective measures to protect the safety of Chinese citizens in Lebanon.
Israeli aircraft began to carry out massive strikes on settlements in the south and east of Lebanon on Monday morning. Dozens of villages and a number of regional settlements came under attack. Fighters of Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah, in turn, launched dozens of rockets toward northern Israel. The Lebanese government has already called on the UN to intervene and stop Israeli aggression.
The latest escalation, with increased intensity of shelling from both sides, occurred after massive explosions of communications means in different parts of Lebanon on September 17 and 18, killing dozens and injuring nearly 3,000. Later, Israeli aircraft struck a residential building in the southern suburbs of Beirut, killing more than 50 people, including Hezbollah special operations commander Ibrahim Aqil. Shiite resistance fighters responded by attacking the Israeli Air Force base Ramat David and the Rafael defense industry complex in northern Haifa. Several rockets fell in residential areas on the outskirts of the Israeli city.
The 79th session of the UN General Assembly opened in New York on September 10. The key event of the General Assembly sessions is traditionally the high-level week – an event where heads of state and ministers gather annually and speak out on pressing issues. The annual debates will take place from September 24 to 28, as well as on September 30. The Russian delegation is led by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who is expected to speak on September 28.