POLITICAL ISSUES
BAHRAIN
1.China welcomes Bahrain's resumption of national talks: FM
Beijing, Friday, 8 February 2013
At a daily press briefing a foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said that China welcomes the decision by Bahrain’s political groups to resume national dialogue.
Source: Xinhua, Beijing

EGYPT
2. China’s Egypt balloon crash work panel to arrive
Beijing, Wednesday, 27 February 2013
A Chinese Foreign Ministry panel arrived in Egypt following the killing of nine Hong Kong tourists in an air balloon crash.
Source: Xinhua, Beijing

3. Chinese embassy urges Egypt to guarantee tourists' safety
Luxor, Wednesday, 27 February 2013
The director of consular affairs at Chinese Embassy in Cairo, Zhang Baoqi, urged the Egyptian government to take necessary measures to guarantee Chinese citizens' safe travelling in Egypt.
Source: Xinhua, Beijing

IRAN
4. China backs cooperation between Iran, IAEA: FM spokesman
Beijing, Friday, 1 February 2013
A Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei remarked that China supports cooperation between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Source: Xinhua, Beijing

5. China expects progress for Iran, P5+1 talks in Kazakhstan
Beijing, Wednesday, 6 February 2013
A Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Hua Chunying said that China called on Iran and the P5+1 to strive for progress in talks regarding Iran's nuclear programme to be held on 26 February 2013 in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
Source: Xinhua, Beijing

6. China urges Iran nuclear talk diplomatic efforts
Beijing, Friday, 22 February 2013
Hong Lei, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, said that China called on all relevant parties to step up diplomatic efforts at the upcoming Iran nuclear talks in Kazakhstan.
Source: Xinhua, Beijing

7. China expects progress in Iran nuclear talks
Almaty, Tuesday, 26 February 2013
An assistant Foreign Minister of China Ma Zhouxu, who headed the Chinese delegation to Iran, said that Beijing hopes that the talks held on the Iran nuclear issue would achieve positive results.
Source: Xinhua, Beijing

8. China and Iran meet ahead of nuclear talks
Almaty, Tuesday, 26 February 2013
During his meeting with Ali Baqeri, Deputy Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, an assistant Foreign Minister of China Ma Zhouxu, said that China called for talks and dialogue as it is the only progressive solution to the nuclear issue.
Source: Xinhua, Beijing

9. China says Iran nuclear talks "candid, constructive"
Beijing, Wednesday, 27 February 2013
During a press conference, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said that the Iran nuclear talks in Kazakhstan were being conducted in a “candid and constructive” manner.
Source: Xinhua, Beijing

10. Iran nuclear talks make tangible progress: China
Almaty, Wednesday, 27 February 2013
Ma Zhouxa, an assistant Foreign Minister of China said that the talks in Kazakhstan on Iran’s nuclear issue have made tangible progress.
Source: Xinhua, Beijing

ISRAEL
11. Israel-China ties on good trajectory: Israeli ex-diplomat
Tel Aviv, Tuesday, 19 February 2013
Former Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon while addressing an event hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Tel Aviv to mark Chinese Lunar New Year said that Sino-Israel ties are based on friendship and respect.
Source: Xinhua, Beijing

SYRIA
12. Chinese ambassador meets Syrian opposition leader in Cairo
Cairo, Tuesday, 5 February 2013
Chinese Ambassador to Egypt Song Aiguo met with Syrian National Coalition for Opposition and Revolutionary Forces Chairman Ahmed Moaz Al-Khatib in Cairo. He said that China has all along been deeply concerned about and attached important to the Syrian issue.
Source: Xinhua, Beijing

13. China urges widely accepted Syrian solution
Beijing, Wednesday, 6 February 2013
Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi met Faisal al-Miqdad, Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister and said that China is open to any solution to the ongoing conflict in Syria as long as it is widely accepted by Syrians.
Source: Xinhua, Beijing

14. China calls for immediate start of intra-Syrian dialogue
Moscow, Friday, 22 February 2013
Chinese Foreign Minister said that China called for an immediate start of intra-Syrian talks in accordance with the Geneva agreements reached by world powers.
Source: Xinhua, Beijing

ECONOMIC ISSUES
UAE
15. UAE top lender launches Chinese RMB accounts
Dubai, Wednesday, 6 February 2013
Emirates NBD, the biggest lender by assets in UAE launched Chinese currency (Renminbi) denominated accounts and deposits to support small and medium enterprises to conduct trade settlements.
Source: Xinhua, Beijing

MULTINATIONAL ISSUES
16. China-GCC trade expands from goods to financial field
Dubai, Sunday, 24 February 2013
Tian Zhiping, the regional CEO of ICBC Middle East, said that the recent trade figures between China and GCC states indicate that the Sino-Arabian trade has gone beyond tangible goods and have entered the world of banking, finance and business consultancy.
Source: Xinhua, Beijing

COMPILED BY DIPANWITA CHAKRAVORTTY

Dipanwita Chakravortty is pursuing her M Phil degree in School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.  Email

As part of its editorial policy, the MEI@ND standardizes spelling and date formats to make the text uniformly accessible and stylistically consistent. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views/positions of the MEI@ND. Editor, MEI@ND: P R Kumaraswamy