Chinese Foreign Minister and State Councilor Wang Yi met with the deputy foreign ministers of Iran and Saudi Arabia in Beijing on Dec. 15. Wang underlined that the Middle East should no longer be an arena for great powers, but its fate should be in the hands of the peoples of the region. He encouraged the two countries to continue working together for reconciliation and enhance mutual trust through dialogue and consultation. He said that the two sides should explore exchanges in such fields as economy, trade, security, and people-to-people exchanges, and that they should reject external interference. The two sides are now working to establish direct flights between the two countries.