BEIJING, January 22. /TASS/. The Board of Peace initiative proposed by US President Donald Trump will not help resolve the Gaza issue, Han Jianwei, an associate professor at the Middle East Studies Institute of Shanghai International Studies University, said in an interview with TASS.
"It appears that the Board of Peace is being positioned as a potential alternative to the UN. So far, however, it exists only in the form of verbal statements by Trump. It remains unclear how it would function and how many countries would actually participate," the expert said.
She noted that, in practice, the board would likely consist only of Trump and his inner circle, while other countries could join only after contributing $1 billion. "Even then, members would be expected to follow the United States’ lead on all issues. Under such conditions, it is unlikely that the board could contribute to resolving the Gaza problem. China has already emphasized the need to adhere to a UN-based international order," Han Jianwei said.
"It is more likely that this is simply an attempt by Trump to turn Gaza into a tourist and commercial hub," the expert concluded.
Earlier, leaders of several countries received invitations from the US to join the body. The board is expected to begin work during the second phase of the peace plan agreed in October 2025 by Israel and the Palestinian movement Hamas through mediation from Egypt, Qatar, the US, and Turkey. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin had received an invitation to join the Board of Peace and was considering this possibility. The Chinese Foreign Ministry has also confirmed receiving the invitation.