China, Indonesia ask US to back UN res. for Gaza ceasefire

China and Indonesia have pledged to strengthen economic ties and maintain peace and stability in the region, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Thursday after a meeting with his Indonesian counterpart, Retno Marsudi, in Jakarta, Reuters reported.

Wang also called for all parties in the Gaza conflict to exercise restraint, and said the United States should support a United Nations resolution for a ceasefire in Gaza.

“Both ministers expressed resentment over the humanitarian disaster due to the Palestine-Israel conflict. We agree that the UN Security Council resolution on a ceasefire must be fully implemented and without any condition,” Wang said after the meeting, in remarks that were translated into Indonesian.

Wang urged the United States to “listen to the international community” amid concerns over the escalating conflict in the Middle East.

“The UN Security Council is a collective security mechanism that must not be used by a certain country,” Wang said.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said she hoped China would “would use its influence to prevent escalation” in Gaza, emphasizing the need for a two-state solution.

Indonesia and China, its largest trading and investment partner, are seeking to further strengthen economic ties through deepened investment in infrastructure, downstreaming, food sustainability and Indonesia’s energy transition, Retno said.

Chinese investment in Indonesia reached more than $7.4 billion last year, she added.

During Friday’s bilateral meeting both countries pledged to maintain peace in the Indo-Pacific region, with Yang saying he expected that negotiations on the code of conduct on the South China Sea could be accelerated.