Lapid speaks to Chinese counterpart about Iran, Ukraine

Foreign Minister Yair Lapid speaks to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi about the Iranian threat and the war in Ukraine, according to a statement from the Foreign Ministry.

Lapid calls for a speedy end to the war in Ukraine and the need for a diplomatic solution, according to the statement. The two also discuss bilateral ties, cooperation over the COVID-19 virus, and strengthening the government-to-government relationship through the China-Israel Joint Committee on Innovation Cooperation.

Lapid updates Wang on last week’s Negev Summit and other “important regional developments.”

In January, at the Joint Committee virtual meeting, the countries signed a three-year plan to regulate cooperation and government-to-government dialogue through 2024.

The Joint Committee was established in 2014 as a comprehensive bilateral dialogue framework for senior government officials. January’s meeting was the fifth time the committee has convened, and the first since 2018.

The meeting was part of a series of events marking 30 years of diplomatic relations between Israel and China.