Chinese premier meets with Palestinian president in effort to increase Middle East presence

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese Premier Li Qiang is meeting with visiting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in a drive by Beijing to elevate relations and increase its overall presence in the Middle East. Li, who took office this spring with little foreign policy experience, called Abbas “an old friend of the Chinese people” who has made “important contributions to the promotion of China-Palestinian relations.” The Thursday meeting came a day after Abbas was greeted with full military honors by Xi Jinping, China’s president and head of the ruling Communist Party. The two sides announced the formation of a “strategic partnership,” paving the way to further China’s influence in the region at a time when the United States is seen as withdrawing from conflicts.