Chinese FM urges just, reasonable solution to Palestine issue

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi called for a just and reasonable solution to the Palestine issue when delivering a written speech on Wednesday local time at the United Nations (UN) Security Council’s video conference over the matter.

The Palestine issue has always been at the core of the Middle East issue and a just and reasonable solution is a prerequisite for the region’s lasting peace and security, Wang said, adding China is deeply concerned about the continuing tension between Palestine and Israel recently.

He said that under the current circumstances, the four-point proposal put forward in 2017 by Chinese President Xi Jinping for settling the Palestine issue, is of more practical significance.

Based on the proposal, China would like to emphasize the following four points, Wang said.

Deviation from international consensus should be avoided. The “two-state solution” is the bottom line of international fairness and justice and history can not be reversed, he said.

China supports Palestine in establishing an independent state with full sovereignty based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, Wang said, adding that the national rights of the Palestinian people should not be traded.

Meanwhile, Israel’s right to exist and its legitimate security concerns should also be fully respected, Wang added.

He emphasized that relevant UN resolutions, the principle of “land for peace” as well as the general direction of the “two-state solution” should be observed and reaffirmed.

Peaceful dialogue should not be abandoned, Wang said, calling for an early resumption of equal dialogue between Palestine and Israel to rebuild mutual trust, defuse conflicts and find a way to coexist peacefully.

In accordance with relevant UN resolutions, the issue of the occupied West Bank should be resolved as soon as possible, said Wang, stressing that the final boundary between Palestine and Israel should be delimited through peaceful negotiations.

International support should not be relaxed, Wang said, adding that the Palestine issue should remain at a core position of international agenda.

He urged the international community to take an objective and fair stance and make sincere and real efforts for the peace process in the Middle East, saying that any plan that is detached from the Middle East peace track will not bring a long-lasting peace to the region.

The humanitarian issues should not be ignored either, Wang said, calling for a full removal of the blockade of Gaza as soon as possible, as well as an earnest implementation of the obligations stipulated in the Paris Protocol and other international treaties.

The international community should support Palestine’s economic development and the work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, so as to help improve the humanitarian situation in Palestine, Wang said.

China and Palestine are true friends, Wang said, noting that the Chinese side always cares about the peace process in the Middle East, sticks to international axiom and justice, and supports any efforts that are conducive to easing the situation there.

The UN Security Council bears the prime responsibility of safeguarding global peace and security, and is obliged to play its due role in pushing for a comprehensive, just and enduring solution to the Palestine issue, Wang added. 

Source: Xinhua