King Abdullah II visits China, UN next week to discuss regional challenges

His Majesty King Abdullah II will pay a state visit to China early next week at the invitation of its new leadership and then head to New York to address the United Nations General Assembly. The trip is part of the ongoing consultation by the King with world capitals, including Beijing and New York, about developments in the Middle East, including the ramifications of the Syrian crisis and efforts to bring about peace between the Palestinians and the Israelis "in a way as to safeguard Jordan's higher interests." King Abdullah will hold talks in Beijing with President Xi Jinping and other Chinese leaders about ways to cement Sino-Jordanian relations in addition to current regional and international developments, particularly the Syrian crisis and the quest for Middle East peace based on the two-state solution. His Majesty will head Jordan's delegation to the 68th session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York, where he will deliver a keynote speech on Jordan's position towards the regional challenges, with emphasis on the repercussions of the conflict in Syria and Palestinian-Israeli peace talks "for the fulfilment of Palestinian aspirations for an independent state on their national soil." The King will also meet at the U.N. headquarters with U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and world leaders and political figures.