(XIN HUA NEWS LI MUZI)

 

On February 11, the UN Security Council held an open meeting on the situation in the Middle East and the question of Palestine, and heard briefings by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov. President of the State of Palestine Mahmoud Abbas, Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations Danny Danon, and Secretary-General of the League of Arab States Aboul Gheit spoke at the meeting. Ambassador Zhang Jun, Chinese Permanent Representative to the United Nations, addressed the meeting. He expounded on China’s principled position on the situation in the Middle East and the issue of Palestine, and reiterated China’s firm support for the Palestinian people’s just cause for restoring their legitimate national rights.

Zhang said that the Palestinian issue, which is unresolved for over 70 years, is the root cause of the turbulence in the Middle East. The issue has been questioning human conscience and international justice. Independent statehood is an inalienable national right of the Palestinian people and not something for trading at all. Currently, the Palestinian people are still undergoing huge sufferings. China is deeply worried about the incessant clashes and confrontations between Palestine and Israel, the continuing and expanding settlement activities and demolition of Palestinian houses, and deviation of the Middle East peace process from the right track.

Zhang said that China has noted the US announcement of the new Middle East peace plan and the response of Palestine and the Arab League, the OIC, the UN Secretary-General and others. China always believes that the relevant UN resolutions and such international consensus as the “two-state solution” and the “land for peace” principle constitute an important foundation for solving the question of Palestine, and must be effectively observed. The question of Palestine can only be solved through political means. Any solution proposal on this question must be based on heeding the views and opinions of the major parties, in particular those of Palestine, and the voice of regional countries and organizations. Such a solution must be reached through dialogue and negotiation on an equal footing, and must contribute to a comprehensive, fair and lasting solution.

Zhang said that in the past few days, Council members held intensive consultations on the question of Palestine. China supports the efforts by Tunisia and Indonesia and believes that the Council should base its work on the resolutions adopted in the past, heed the voices of the Palestinian people, reaffirm its support to the “two-state solution” and the importance of relevant resolutions and existing international consensus, and call upon all the parties to comply with international law, in order to prevent further complication and deterioration of the situation. China encourages all the parties to continue consultations in a responsible manner, narrow differences, and widen consensus with a view to creating favorable conditions for solving this issue.

Zhang said that China is highly concerned about the economic and humanitarian situation in Palestine. China calls upon the parties concerned to seriously fulfill the international treaty obligations, comprehensively implement the relevant resolutions, speedily and fully lift the blockade against Gaza and improve the economic and humanitarian situation in the occupied Palestinian territories. The international community must increase its political and financial support to UNRWA so as to effectively improve the humanitarian situation of the Palestinian refugees and their host countries and increase input into the economic reconstruction in Palestine. The Security Council bears the primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security. Under the current circumstances, the Council should work with the international community and play a constructive role in seeking a comprehensive, fair and lasting solution to the question of Palestine.