A Palestinian envoy arrived Thursday in China's capital to discuss the Palestinians' conflict with Israel and their bid to upgrade their status at the U.N., in the latest sign of Beijing's growing influence in the Middle East, AP reported. Bassam al-Salhi's arrival came hours after a cease-fire in the fiercest fighting in years between Israel and Hamas militants. Eight days of airstrikes and artillery attacks by Israel and rocket attacks by Palestinian militants had killed 161 Palestinians and five Israelis. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas wants China's help in pressing for an upgrade in the Palestinians' U.N. status from permanent observer to nonmember observer, which could boost their chance of joining additional U.N. bodies such as the International Criminal Court, where they could attempt to prosecute Israel. China has increasingly played a more active diplomatic role in the Middle East. The Egyptian-sponsored cease-fire that took effect Wednesday night in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict promises to halt years of Palestinian rocket attacks on southern Israel and ease border closings that have stifled Gaza's economy.
