Mr. President,

I thank Special Coordinator Mladnov for his briefing.

We are concerned about the continued clashes and confrontations in Gaza and at Al-Aqsa and the steadily escalating situation. We have taken note that, at the Emergency Summit of the League of Arab States and the Summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation recently held in Saudi Arabia, the basic principles of settling the Palestinian question were reaffirmed. Safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of the Palestinian people is the shared responsibility of the international community. I wish to highlight the following points:

First, to effectively implement the Security Council resolution 2334. Parties concerned must immediately cease all settlement activities in the occupied territory, cease and desist from the demolition of Palestinian homes and the destruction of Palestinian property, and take measures to prevent violence against civilians. All legislative acts and unilateral moves aimed at legitimizing settlement activities must be stopped immediately and practical measures must be taken to eliminate their effects.

Second, to seek a proper settlement to the issue of the final status of Jerusalem, a complex and sensitive issue fundamental to the settlement of the Palestinian question and crucial to regional peace and tranquility. Recent clashes at Al-Aqsa are worrying. All parties must act with caution, based on the principles of respecting the plurality of history, upholding fairness and justice, implementing international consensus, and achieving peaceful coexistence, and in accordance with relevant UN resolutions and international consensus, hold talks to reach a solution that can balance the interests of all parties.

Third, to remain seized of the economic and humanitarian situation in Palestine and take measures for improvement. The prolonged blockade of the Gaza Strip has led to severe humanitarian situation in the region and is not conducive to regional stability. Immediate measures must be taken to lift the blockade in Gaza in full, so as to avoid any potential escalation. China is concerned about the act of certain party that involves the withholding of some of the tax receipts collected by Palestine and calls on the party concerned to genuinely fulfill the obligations under relevant international treaties such as the Paris Protocol and fully implement UN resolutions on this issue. The international community should lend more support to UNRWA. We look forward to the successful conclusion of its upcoming pledging conference.

Mr. President,

The Middle East needs peace and stability. There is no alternative to the two-state solution - the only correct answer to the Palestinian-Israeli question. In line with the "Arab Peace Initiative", the "land for peace" principle and relevant Council resolutions, the international community must adhere to a negotiation-based approach in advancing a comprehensive, just and lasting solution to the Palestinian question, to achieve the ultimate goal of establishing a fully-sovereign State of Palestine based on the 1967 border with East Jerusalem as its Capital. Any new initiative should meet the aforementioned international guidelines.

Thank you, Mr. President.