Mr. President,

I thank Assistant Secretary-General Jenča for his briefing.

The Palestinian question has been lingering for many years and is at the core of the Middle East issue and one of the underlying causes of the problems in the region. Palestine and Israel are neighbors that share the same fate. Accelerating a political process in resolving the Palestinian question through dialogue and consultation is in the fundamental interests of both the Palestinian and the Israeli peoples and will help to bring about durable peace and stability in the region.

The Palestinian-Israeli situation is currently very fragile. The conflict around the issue of settlements is still acute, and the humanitarian situation in Gaza is grave. The Palestinian people are demanding to see their historical wrongs corrected and to be able to exercise their inalienable national rights. The international community should ramp up its sense of urgency and agitate for a political settlement of the Palestinian question.

First, it should firmly advance political settlement based on the two-State solution. Such a solution best fits the regional realities, is most widely recognized internationally and has been called for in relevant General Assembly resolution. The parties concerned should work diligently to an early resumption of the peace talks and seek a comprehensive, just and lasting solution to the question of Palestine, based on the relevant Security Council resolutions, the principle of land for peace and the Arab Peace Initiative etc.

Secondly, we should uphold the concept of common, integrated, cooperative and sustainable security and eliminate all the negative factors impeding the resumption of peace talks between Israel and Palestine. In that regard, China calls for the effective implementation of resolution 2334 (2016). The parties concerned should translate their words into action and demonstrate their full willingness to engage in peace talks, build mutual trust and cease all actions that undermine the possibility of a two-State solution. It will be essential to halt all settlement activities in the occupied territory and put an end to the closure of Gaza. Measures to improve the livelihood of the Palestinian people and to prevent violence against innocent civilians should be bolstered as soon as possible.

Thirdly, we should further coordinate the efforts of the international community and foster synergy in the interest of peace. China supports all efforts aimed at promoting peace between Palestine and Israel. The international community has been increasing its focus on the question of Palestine for some time now, and the parties concerned have, from different perspectives, at different levels and with different emphases, promoted the resumption of peace talks by actively engaging in various diplomatic activities. Progress has recently has been made with intra-Palestine reconciliation, which should help to promote unity within Palestine, the resumption of peace talks, Palestine’s achievement of independent statehood and peaceful coexistence between Palestine and Israel. China appreciates Egypt’s efforts to promote such reconciliation. We hope that the international community will build on the progress made and further strengthen its coordination in order to take steps to promote peace through joint engagement as soon as possible.

China is a staunch supporter of the Palestinian people’s just cause and an active mediator for peace between Israel and Palestine. We firmly support the two-State solution and the establishment of a Palestinian State with full sovereignty and independence, on the basis of the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. China will use President Xi Jinping’s four-point proposal as its general guide for settling the Palestinian question and will work with the other parties involved for its political settlement.

Mr. President,

China always believes that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) has helped to defuse the Iranian nuclear crisis and strengthen international non-proliferation regime, with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons as its cornerstone. It is an important outcome for international security governance and multilateralism and a good example of the effectiveness of addressing difficult issues through diplomatic and political means. We hope the parties concerned will work together to maintain and safeguard the JCPOA as a historic achievement, and that they will honor their respective obligations under the agreement, ensure its comprehensive implementation and settle their differences appropriately through dialogue and consultation in a concerted effort to preserve peace and stability in the Middle East.

Thank you, Mr. President.