The newly-appointed Chinese Middle East special envoy Wu Sike held talks Sunday with Jordanian Prime Minister Nader Dahabi at the start of a six-nation regional tour to explore how Beijing can help push forward the stalled Arab-Israeli peace process, according to dpa. "China is keen on having coordination with Jordan and other Arab countries to try to advance peace efforts," Sike was quoted as saying by the official Petra news agency after the meeting. "The Middle East situation is passing through a major juncture which needs marathon efforts to bring about peace, and China is ready to play its role in this respect," he added. Dahabi reviewed with the Chinese official the latest peace moves in the region and "the role which China can play in this regard as a permanent member of the UN Security Council," a statement from the premier's office said. Dahabi also briefed Sike on latest efforts by King Abdullah II, who just ended a European tour, to ensure a resumption of negotiations between the Palestinians and Israel, "under the auspices of the United States, in the run-up for concluding a settlement on the basis of the two-state solution." In addition to Jordan, the Chinese emissary is scheduled to visit Egypt, Israel, the Palestinian territories, Syria and Lebanon.
