Mr. President,

The issue of the Middle East has been one of the longest-standing hot-spot ones in the world, and one of those about which the international community is concerned most. Although the people of Palestine have achieved partial self-determination in Gaza and the West Bank after suffering many years of warfare, the just and lasting solution to the issue of the Middle East still seems too faraway since the peace talks between Palestine and Israel have taken so many twists and existing agreements between the two sides are yet to be fully implemented.  And this new round of violent conflict between Palestine and Israel, beginning from September last year, has come to stay for long time and caused large casualties of innocent civilians and huge losses of properties by the two sides, the Palestinian side in particular, and also led to increasing tension in the region, making the Middle East peace process even more difficult and complicated. These recent developments are now having an increasingly negative impact on peace and development in the world.

We have taken note of the positive efforts the parties concerned made towards the de-escalation of the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis and the resumption of peace talks between the two sides since September last year.  We would express our appreciation for such efforts.  Regrettably, however, the violence between Palestinians and Israelis has not yet stopped, whereas it has escalated continuously and the Middle East situation has further deteriorated rather than improved.  Security is far from safeguarded for both sides and the two peoples are still living in the shadow of violence and conflict.  It is therefore necessary for the international community and parties concerned to draw profound lessons from it.

It has been demonstrated over and again in the Middle East's past and present that conflict and confrontation would only serve to deepen mutual hatred and make issues more complicated while dialogue and negotiation are the only right way to peace.  The Security Council, which shoulders a special responsibility for maintaining international peace and security, should play an important role in the promotion of the solution to the issue of the Middle East.  Its overriding priority now is to take resolute action to put the violence to an end and ease up the tense situation as soon as possible and fulfill the promise to protect civilians in armed conflict.

The issue of the Middle East has a close bearing on international peace and security as a whole.  An early end to the Palestine-Israel conflict and the realization of peace in the Middle East, therefore, are in the fundamental interests of all sides.  We strongly appeal to the two sides to earnestly implement their existing agreements, respond actively to the mediation efforts by the international community and return to the negotiation table at an early date.  We also hope that those parties that have an influence on the two sides will play a positive part in promoting an end to the conflict as well as the early resumption of the peace talks.

At the core of the Middle East issue lies the question of Palestine.  Without the restoration of the legitimate national rights of the Palestinians, including their right to independent statehood, it would be impossible to arrive at a fair, justified and lasting solution to the issue of the Middle East.  We have always maintained that relevant UN resolutions on this issue and the principle of "land for peace" stand as the basis for the Middle East peace talks and the faithful implementation of existing agreements and understandings between the two sides constitutes a precondition for their mutual trust.  The Chinese Government and people have all along supported the just cause of the Palestinian people in restoring their legitimate national rights.  We welcome all efforts by the international community to restore regional stability and will work as always with the rest of the international community to make positive contributions to the realization of a comprehensive and just solution to the issue of the Middle East, including the question of Palestine.

Thank you, Mr. President.