Chinese FM to visit Cairo on mideast truce

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will leave for Cairo soon to discuss with Egyptian and the Arab League officials on truce between Israel and Palestine, Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said Friday.

Qin welcomed the 72-hour humanitarian cease-fire reached between Palestine and Israel early Friday, calling on both sides to reach deal on turning temporary humanitarian cease-fire into long-term truce as soon as possible.

But the ceasefire did not stand as fighting resumed merely hours later.

He called on both sides to move towards the same direction and reach a comprehensive truce deal at an early date in the hope of keeping people away from wars and violence.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon announced separately on Thursday that Israel and Hamas agreed in the early hours of Friday to a 72-hour humanitarian ceasefire in their bloody conflict in the Gaza Strip.

The Chinese people felt the same way as the Gaza people did on their sufferings, Qin said, adding that China has already provided and will continue to provide assistance to Palestine including Gaza as its capacity allows.

China will work with the international community to make unremitting efforts to promote an early realization of long-term truce and safeguard the peace in the region, he added.