China, Russia to boycott 'deal of the century' summit in Bahrain

China and Russia will boycott an economics-focused conference next month in Bahrain that is part of the United States' Middle East peace plan.

Chinese Ambassador to Palestine Guo Wei made the announcement to Palestine's state-run WAFA news agency on Monday.

"Boycotting the Bahrain conference comes within the framework of a bilateral Russian-Chinese agreement not to participate in it," Wei said.

He added that the Chinese government supported the Palestinians rights to self-determination and the establishment of an independent state.

The White House will co-host the June 25-26 conference in Manama focusing on economic aspects of President Donald Trump's long-delayed Israeli-Palestinian peace plan.

The plan, which has been two years in the making, envisions large-scale investment and infrastructure work in the Palestinian territories but the central political elements remain mostly unknown.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has long dismissed the plan - known as the "deal of the century".

"The Palestinian Authority does not recognise this conference," Abbas said on Monday.

"Trump's 'deal of the century' will go to hell, as will the economic workshop in Bahrain that the Americans intend to hold," he added.

Palestinians have boycotted the US administration since Trump broke with decades of consensus and recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital in December 2017.

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates will send senior ministers to participate in the conference despite calls by Palestinian leadership for an Arab boycott of the meeting.

China, Russia to boycott 'deal of the century' summit