China continues playing constructive role in upholding peace, stability in Middle East

China will continue to play a constructive role in upholding peace and stability in the Middle East, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said at a press briefing on Monday in Beijing.

Mao Ning, the spokeswoman, made the statement when elaborating on China's position on the Middle East issue and the role it plays -- topics that were focused in a meeting between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi last week in Beijing.

"During the talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi, Foreign Minister Wang Yi put forward 'four respects' on the Middle East issue, namely, the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Middle East countries needs to be respected, their legitimate and reasonable concerns need to be respected, the choice independently made by Middle East people need to be respected, and the historical and cultural traditions of Middle East countries need to be respected," said the spokeswoman.

"Foreign Minister Wang Yi stressed that the Middle East belongs to the people in the region. It is not a wrestling ground for major-power rivalry, nor should it become a victim of geopolitical contest of countries outside the region. To end the instability and restore order in the Middle East, the pressing priority is to end the fighting and violence at once, ease the humanitarian crisis, stick to political settlement, and resume dialogue and negotiations. This is the basic position of China on the Middle East issue," said Mao.

"Over the past year, we have galvanized effort at the UN Security Council to adopt the first resolution on ceasefire in Gaza, brought Palestinian factions together for reconciliation talks which resulted in the adoption of the Beijing Declaration, provided multiple batches of humanitarian assistance to Gaza, spoken up for Lebanon at the UN and other multilateral occasions, made consistent effort to advance the reconciliation process between Saudi Arabia and Iran, and supported regional countries in settling differences with an inclusive mind, enhancing mutual trust through cooperation, and building a sustainable security architecture in the Middle East," she said.

"There will not be tranquility in the world with a Middle East in turmoil. China will continue to play a constructive role in upholding peace and stability in the Middle East, and firmly support countries in the region in exploring development path independently, settling issues through dialogue and consultation, and safeguarding sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity," said Mao.

China continues playing constructive role in upholding peace, stability in Middle East

Hungarians voted in parliamentary elections on Sunday, with about 8.1 million people eligible to cast ballots, according to the National Election Office.

Polls opened at 06:00 local time and closed at 19:00, with initial results expected late on Sunday evening.

Of the total, about 7.6 million voters were eligible to cast ballots in person at more than 10,000 polling stations nationwide, while some 500,000 were eligible to vote by mail.

Five parties or alliances are competing in the election. The latest opinion polls showed strong support for both Prime Minister Viktor Orban's ruling Fidesz-Christian Democratic People's Party alliance and the opposition Tisza party led by Peter Magyar.

Among smaller parties, the far-right Our Homeland Movement is seen as having a chance to enter parliament, while others, including the Democratic Coalition and the Hungarian Two-Tailed Dog Party, are widely viewed as unlikely to cross the threshold.

This election marks Orban's fourth parliamentary race since returning to power in 2010, with the outcome set to determine whether he can secure a fifth consecutive term.

Under Hungary's electoral law, parliamentary elections are held every four years. The Hungarian parliament has 199 seats, including 106 filled through direct elections in single-member constituencies and 93 allocated to parties that enter parliament. The party or alliance that secures a majority of seats has the right to form a government.

Hungarians vote in parliamentary elections