ISTANBUL 

Peace was the “only way out” of wars in Gaza, as well as in Ukraine, Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun said Friday.

Dong also called for “negotiations” to end these conflicts.

He was addressing China’s top security gathering, known as Xiangshan Forum, which is attended in Beijing by more than 700 participants from over 100 nations.

Countries must put their destiny “in their own hands,” said Dong, according to the daily South China Morning Post.

“To resolve hotspot issues such as the crisis in Ukraine and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, promoting peace and negotiation is the only way out,” he added.

The Israeli war on Gaza, which has killed over 41,000 Palestinians since last Oct. 7, nears one year, while more than 11,000 civilians have been killed in Ukraine since Russia launched its “special military operation” against Kyiv in February 2022.

“There is no winner in war and conflict, and confrontation leads nowhere,” Dong stressed.

“The more acute the conflict, the more we cannot give up dialogue and consultation. The end of any conflict is reconciliation,” said the Chinese defense minister, who is hosting the forum.

It is the first time in five years that a Chinese defense minister has attended the forum in person since the world was overwhelmed by the COVID-19 in 2020.

China also saw an abrupt ousting of Dong’s predecessor Li Shangfu last year.

Nearly 20 defense ministers, including those from Vietnam, Cambodia, and Singapore, are attending the three-day event.

The US is represented by Michael Chase, the US deputy assistant secretary of defense.