U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that the Lebanon-Israel negotiations underway in Washington should be handled separately from the broader U.S.-Iran dialogue, emphasizing that the U.S. will engage directly with Lebanon on the matter.
Rubio told reporters after arriving in Abu Dhabi that the Lebanon-Israel process is separate because Lebanon is a sovereign country with its own government, and that the United States will negotiate and deal directly with Beirut on matters concerning Lebanon.
Rubio is on a visit to the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain from June 23 to 25 to discuss regional security, following a memorandum of understanding reached between the United States and Iran.
The new round of Lebanon-Israel talks, brokered by the United States, is expected to last three days, with Israeli and Lebanese officials in Washington for the week, U.S. media reported.
Iran has repeatedly warned that continued Israeli strikes on Lebanon during the ceasefire could affect the broader U.S.-Iran negotiation process. Israel has described its actions as self-defense measures against the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said at a press conference on Tuesday that U.S. commitments on a ceasefire in Lebanon are "very clear," and that Israel's continued "illegal aggression" in Lebanon is unjustifiable and unacceptable.
He added that a "Lebanon conflict management mechanism" established during the Switzerland talks will involve all relevant parties and oversee the implementation of Article 1 of the Iran-U.S. memorandum of understanding, particularly ensuring the ceasefire in Lebanon is upheld.
According to the full text of the memorandum, Article 1 demands an immediate and permanent cessation of military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon; a mutual commitment by both sides to refrain from future war or military actions, and from the use or threat of force; and guarantees for Lebanon's territorial integrity and sovereignty. The final agreement is expected to confirm the permanent end of hostilities on all fronts, including Lebanon, along with other provisions outlined in the article.
Lebanon-Israel talks separate from U.S.-Iran negotiations: Rubio
The ongoing fourth China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE) entered its third day on Wednesday, with a packed agenda of events and product launches, including 10 product debut events, as participating companies began securing cooperation agreements with partners at home and from abroad.
The fourth edition of the five-day expo has drawn more than 670 exhibitors from 85 countries, regions and international organizations.
On Wednesday morning, a series of new product unveilings took place, with four companies presenting their latest innovations, including an upgraded security patrol robot dog and medical-grade home care products.
"This year, [we've] brought the new generation AI cloud-specific functions, the new generation AI Agent, and our embodied intelligence series products. [We hope] to leverage the CISCE platform to further promote [our products and technologies] to the global market," said Zhao Jie, secretary of the Board of Directors at NEXWISE Intelligence China Limited, a leading innovator in AI product research, development and manufacturing.
Beyond new product launch events, Wednesday's agenda also included three thematic exchange activities among which the morning's advanced manufacturing-themed event provided a platform for high-level exchanges in the sector.
According to organizers, this year's exhibition area of Advanced Manufacturing has gathered nearly 100 Chinese and foreign enterprises to present the complete supply chain ecosystem in such areas as high-end equipment, new materials and industrial automation.
Among the exhibits are the CR450 high-speed train, currently the world's fastest in terms of designed operational speed and China's independently developed series of new energy locomotives. These achievements underscore collaborative innovation across industrial and supply chains.
"In China's rail transit equipment industry, our company plays the role of a 'chain leader.' At the CISCE, we are actively engaging with manufacturers from various countries, in efforts to enable our partners from the upstream and downstream of the industrial chain and our new energy locomotive producers to go global in coordination," said Liu Huaxuan, overall designer of the locomotive development department at China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC) Dalian Co., Ltd.
So far, enterprises from Italy, the United States, Spain have signed cooperation agreements with the guest-of-honor provinces of Hainan and Anhui.
Supply chain expo sees bunches of new product launches, new deals
