China's Mid East envoy meets Blair on peace process

China's Middle East envoy Wu Sike met in London yesterday with representative of the Middle East Quartet Tony Blair to exchange views on the current situation in the region. Wu briefed Blair on China's efforts to help mediate peace talks between the Israelis and Palestinians and said the Palestinian issue remains at the core of the Middle East peace process, China's news agency (Xinhua) reported. "Although the situation in the region has undergone dramatic changes, the Palestinian issue remains at the core of the Middle East peace process," he said. Wu added that China would continue to work with the international community through multilateral mechanisms such as the Middle East Quartet to help the peace talks between the Palestinians and Israel come to fruition. For his part, Blair said the Quartet, which groups the United Nations, the United States, the European Union and Russia, values and appreciates the efforts made by China for the stalled talks. He said the Quartet is prepared to strengthen communication and coordination with China on issues related to the Middle East peace talks. Blair agreed that although the peace process is facing serious challenges, the international community should act in the long-term interest of the region and continue to promote peace talks. The former British prime minister also explained the Quartet's recent moves for the talks and future considerations.