HONG KONG -- China's special envoy for the Middle East has embarked on a visit to the region as Beijing attempts to play a more visible role in efforts to de-escalate the conflict between Israel and the militant group Hamas.
Zhai Jun's itinerary has not been made public, but state media has reported that the diplomat, who spent decades in the region before becoming special envoy in 2019, would visit "relevant countries" to push for a cease-fire and promote peace talks. He landed in Qatar on Thursday, according to reports.
