China tells Israel to stop and reverse 'forced establishment' of West Bank settlements in direct diplomatic rebuke

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi pressed Israeli President Isaac Herzog to halt and reverse the "forced establishment" of West Bank settlements during a face-to-face meeting on the sidelines of a conference in Azerbaijan, describing the Palestinian question as the greatest historical injustice of this century. Wang Yi also called for Gaza Strip access to be thrown fully open to head off a humanitarian catastrophe spreading through the region.

Wang Yi described encouraging peace and reconciliation as the "cornerstone" of China's Middle East policy and reaffirmed Beijing's support for a two-state solution.

China's strong diplomatic relationship with Iran, Israel's primary regional foe, gives Beijing an unusually direct line of pressure on the conflict.

The rebuke follows the UK's own dramatic shift: Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband declared the entire West Bank occupation unlawful and imposed sweeping trade sanctions on illegal settlements in September.