China urges Israel to halt military operations in Gaza immediately

A Chinese envoy on Wednesday strongly called for an immediate cessation of Israel's military operations in Gaza at a United Nations Security Council meeting.

Geng Shuang, China's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, said that the conflict in Gaza has persisted for nearly 700 days, turning the region into a "living hell" where two million residents are trapped in a man-made humanitarian catastrophe.

Geng condemned Israel's recent attack on Nasser Hospital, which killed over 20 civilians, stressing that "violations of international humanitarian law are unacceptable".

"China urges Israel to heed the strong calls of the international community and immediately cease military operations in Gaza, as well as halt any dangerous moves that escalate tensions. China reiterates that violations of international humanitarian law are unacceptable, the weaponization of humanitarian supplies is unacceptable, and militarized mechanisms for aid distribution are unacceptable," Geng said.

He urged Israel to open all border crossings, restore full humanitarian access, and facilitate aid delivery through UN-led mechanisms.

Geng reiterated that the only durable solution lies in implementing the two-state solution and ending the occupation. He condemned Israel's recent settlement expansions in the West Bank, warning that such moves undermine the territorial continuity and foundation of Palestinian statehood.

At the meeting, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths warned that famine, already confirmed in Gaza, is projected to expand by September. Over half a million people currently face starvation, a number that may exceed 640,000 in coming weeks, he said.

Griffiths attributed the crisis to destroyed farmland, decimated livestock, and systematic restrictions on aid delivery, calling it a "man-made crisis".

In response, 14 UN Security Council members, including China but excluding the United States, jointly called for an immediate ceasefire and urged Israel to reverse its decision to expand military operations in Gaza.

In a unified statement, the countries declared, "We call for an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire. We call for the immediate, dignified and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas and other groups. We call for a substantive surge of humanitarian assistance throughout Gaza."

China's outstanding aggregate social financing -- the total amount of financing to the real economy -- reached 442.12 trillion yuan (about 63.4 trillion U.S. dollars) as of the end of 2025, up 8.3 percent year on year, central bank data showed on Thursday.

The country's aggregate social financing stood at 35.6 trillion yuan (about 5.1 trillion U.S. dollars) in 2025, up by 3.34 trillion yuan (about 479 billion U.S. dollars) from the year 2024, said the People's Bank of China (PBOC), the country's central bank.

According to the data, the M2, a broad measure of money supply that covers cash in circulation and all deposits, increased 8.5 percent year on year to 340.29 trillion yuan (about 48.8 trillion U.S. dollars) as of the end of December.

In addition, outstanding yuan loans stood at 271.91 trillion yuan (about 39 trillion U.S. dollars) at the end of 2025, up 6.4 percent year on year.