China sends envoy to Middle East to push for ceasefire

China has sent an envoy to the Middle East to push for a cease fire between Israel and Hamas in the latest sign of its ambition to play a larger role in the region.

Envoy Zhai Jun's first meetings included one in Qatar with a Russian counterpart on Thursday as the two countries stake out a position at odds with the American approach.

The two sides confirmed their “unwavering focus on closely coordinating efforts for the political settlement of this and other crises in the Middle East and North Africa region,” Russia's Foreign Ministry said, according to the country's Tass state news agency.

China, which sees the US as too pro-Israel, has said it opposes attacks on civilians but has not condemned the initial Hamas attack that started the latest war. Instead, it has called for an immediate cease-fire to protect civilians as Israel bombards Gaza before a possible ground invasion.

“We believe that when dealing with hot-spot issues in the international community, major powers should be objective and impartial,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Friday.