China backs “legitimate” Palestinian rights – FM

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday expressed Beijing's support for the Palestinians' "legitimate" rights, saying his country's Middle East policy revolves around the principle of justice. Discussing the current developments in the Middle East with Acting Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri in a phone conversation, the Chinese top diplomat said a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip was a "priority" moving forward, Xinhua news agency cited him as saying. The Iranian foreign minister underlined Tehran's plans to further strengthen what he described as "strategic relations," with Beijing, which includes more frequent bilateral talks over regional and international matters, he said. China is expected to "play a bigger role" in Middle East de-escalation efforts, which would subsequently bolster the region's security and stability, added the Iranian acting foreign minister. Source : Kuwait News Agency