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Chinese special envoy Wu Sike said he has never grown tired of hisshuttle diplomacy in the Middle East, serving gladly because he ishappy that China is making a contribution to the Israeli-Palestinianissue.

After preparation for overlapping visits to China by top Israeli andPalestinian leaders this month, the 67-year-old ambassador began onTuesday a 10-day trip to Jordan, Egypt and the Arab Leagueheadquarters in Cairo.

"The trip is part of China's continuing attempts to promote the peaceprocess in the Middle East by strengthening the concerted efforts ofthe parties involved," Wu said before leaving. "We hope to renewideas and further coordinate positions on this issue with these sides,which all play important roles during the process."

Last year, Jordan hosted the first meeting between Israeli andPalestinian negotiators since the talks broke down in 2010 over theissue of Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

There was no indication of meeting of leaders until speculation aroseabout whether Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and IsraeliPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would meet during their visits to China in May.

The long-awaited meeting did not happen. But Wu said the unusualdiplomatic situation "created a positive atmosphere for restarting adialogue between the two sides" after the positive sign that Abbas and Netanyahu had notrefused to visit China almost simultaneously.

Beijing, which maintains good relations with both sides and respects their interests, served asan indirect but efficient channel for their communication at the highest level, he added.

In a meeting with Abbas, President Xi Jinping presented a four-point proposal for settling theIsraeli-Palestinian conflict. It was seen as China's attempt to promote peace in the Middle Eastby solidifying international consensus.

China urged that Israeli-Palestinian peace remains the core issue in the Middle East andsignificantly influences the region.

However, the problem was gradually marginalized over the past several years due to massivepolitical turmoil in the Arab world and with Washington, the biggest external force in the issue,which shifts its strategic focus to the Asia-Pacific region.

Wu warned that leaving the issue deadlocked was dangerous, saying that Arab's sense ofbeing marginalized has increased the risk of instability.

"The issue is so complicated that any breakthrough is hard to achieve overnight, and all partiesneed to take persistent and patient steps, even small ones, toward peace," said Wu.

"It is difficult to restart a car once its engine stops, so the international community cannot ceaseits efforts," he added.

The United States will retain its vital say in the Middle East peace process, but the internationalcommunity will benefit more if countries, such as China, add balance to the sometimes-biasedUS stance, Wu said.

"This is not a zero-sum game in which one replaces another one, and China, as a responsiblemajor power, would not shun the complexity but play an active role with the other parties in theMiddle East peace process," he said.