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WASHINGTON - US SECRETARY of State Condoleezza Rice has cancelled a trip to China this week because of the crisis in Gaza where Israel has launched a ground offensive, the State Department said on Sunday.
Dr Rice had been set to leave for China on Sunday, with stops in other Asian destinations. But in an indication of deepening concern over Gaza, the State Department said her deputy, Mr John Negroponte, would now go in her place.
'Due to events in the Middle East, Secretary Rice will not be able to travel to Beijing, China, as she had expected,' State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said in a statement.
The move likely will irk the Chinese, who had invited Dr Rice to Beijing to attend celebrations to mark the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries.
She also snubbed China during the Olympics and cancelled her attendance at closing ceremonies for the summer games due to the crisis in the former Soviet republic of Georgia.
Dr Rice said on Friday she had no plans 'at this point' to travel to the Middle East to help reach a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which rules Gaza, and Mr McCormack did not indicate whether the top US diplomat planned to get involved in any shuttle diplomacy.
A handful of Arab ministers is expected in New York this week to hammer out a UN resolution to end the violence in Gaza, and Dr Rice could go there to represent US efforts.
Israeli troops and tanks invaded Gaza by land on Saturday after eight days of air attacks in retaliation for Hamas firing rockets deep into the Jewish territory.
It is the most serious fighting in the conflict in decades and more than 500 Palestinians have been killed. One Israeli soldier was killed and 32 were wounded in the ground offensive, Israel said. Four Israelis have been killed by the Hamas rocket strikes since Dec 27.
Many European and Arab countries have called for an immediate ceasefire in the crisis but the US response has so far been subdued to the ground offensive.
On Saturday, Mr McCormack said the United States was working toward a ceasefire 'as soon as possible' but did not call for an immediate halt in hostilities, a stance that drew strong criticism during the 2006 Lebanon-Israeli war.
'It is obvious that that ceasefire should take place as soon as possible, but we need a ceasefire that is durable, sustainable, and not time limited,' Mr McCormack said in the statement late on Saturday.
He voiced US concern over civilian casualties in Gaza and the humanitarian situation there overall but strongly blamed Hamas for the violence, saying it had held the people of Gaza hostage.
'We have expressed our concerns to the Israeli government that any military action needs to be mindful of the potential consequences to civilians,' said Mr McCormack. -- REUTERS
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