On October 15, 2026 local time, Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs, met with Israeli President Herzog as scheduled during his attendance at the CICA Summit in Baku.

Herzog stated that the Jewish and Chinese ethnic groups have a long history of interaction. Both sides once helped each other in the anti fascist war, and formed a friendship between the people, achieving a historical legend. Israel firmly adheres to the One China policy and is committed to promoting friendly relations with China. It is willing to take the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Israel next year as an opportunity to promote exchanges and cooperation in fields such as science and technology, investment, and personnel exchanges between the two sides.

Herzog introduced Israel's views and positions on the situation in the Middle East, stating that Israel hopes for peace and does not want war, but national security is facing threats and challenges that require strong responses. China has always been an important constructive force in promoting world and regional peace. Israel attaches great importance to the relevant initiatives and proposals put forward by China, appreciates China's efforts to promote regional peace and stability, and is willing to maintain communication with China.

Wang Yi stated that during World War II, the people of both China and Israel suffered greatly from the war. In times of hardship, they lent each other a helping hand and many touching stories emerged. Over the past 30 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, bilateral relations have maintained stable development and pragmatic cooperation has achieved positive results. The core lies in adhering to mutual respect, equal treatment, and mutually beneficial cooperation. Next year marks the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Israel and the 10th anniversary of the establishment of an innovative comprehensive partnership. China is willing to take this as an opportunity to summarize experience, promote cooperation, and consolidate the public opinion foundation of bilateral relations.

Wang Yi stated that promoting regional peace and reconciliation is the cornerstone of China's Middle East policy. The Chinese side has always believed that the Palestinian issue is the biggest historical injustice of this century, and the "two-state solution" is the correct way to solve the Palestinian issue. The current situation in the region remains tense, and peace is far from over. The urgent task is to fully open the passage into Gaza, not allowing 2 million civilians to continue struggling on the brink of survival, and not allowing humanitarian disasters to continue to spread. At the same time, Israel should also stop and revoke its forced establishment of settlements in the West Bank of the Jordan River. 

China is willing to work with the international community to uphold and practice a common, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable security concept, promote all parties to return to the track of dialogue and consultation as soon as possible, and seek political solutions to conflicts.

Wang Yi said that your father promoted the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Israel during his presidency, and was also the first Israeli president to visit China. He once wrote in his memoirs: Compromise and negotiation do not always lead to losing anything, they often bring important gains and long-term trust. In the current situation, this sentence still has practical significance and enlightenment. The Palestinian issue is the root cause of the Middle East problem, and both the Jewish and Palestinian peoples have the right to peaceful survival and the right to establish an independent state. The Chinese side believes that as long as all parties can adhere to the concept of peace, maintain peace determination, explore peaceful ways of moving towards each other, and adhere to the correct direction of the "two-state solution", the peace that the people have been eagerly waiting for will eventually come.Editor/Min Jing