Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi will focus on the Middle East issue during visits to Egypt, Palestine, Israel, Syria and Russia, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said here Tuesday.

At the invitation of Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Ali Aboul Gheit, Foreign Minister of the Palestinian National Authority Riyad al-Malki, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Mualem and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Yang is making official visits to the five countries from April 21-27.

Jiang told a regular press conference that during his visits, Yang will meet with state leaders and hold talks with his counterparts in the five countries.

Jiang said that apart from Russia, four of the five stops on Yang's itinerary are important parties involved in the Middle East issue.

She noted that China is ready to continue playing a constructive role in promoting a political solution to the Middle East issue. "It is China's consistent position that the involved parties should, on the basis of the relevant resolutions of the United Nations and the 'land-for-peace' principle, settle the dispute by political and diplomatic means and realize the peaceful coexistence of Palestine and Israel as well as the Arab world and Israel.

"Yang's visits are conducive to strengthening the political exchanges and mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields between China and those five countries and promoting further development of their relations, " Jiang said.

(Xinhua News Agency April 21, 2009)