I welcome Mr. Hoyer, Minister of State of Germany, who is presiding over today’s meeting, and I thank Mr. Serry for his briefing. I also listened carefully to the statements made by the representatives of Palestine and of Israel.

The protracted and unresolved Middle East issue is the main obstacle blocking progress on peace and development in the Middle East, which thus affects global peace and stability. The Israeli-Palestinian peace talks have again reached a stalemate with a lack of substantial progress over the past few months. The Middle East is now at a crucial crossroads. China is deeply concerned by the current status of peace talks between Israel and Palestine.

China supports a solution to the Israel-Palestine dispute through political and diplomatic channels based on relevant United Nations resolutions, the principle of land for peace, the Arab Peace Initiative and the Road Map for peace in the Middle East, with the aim of establishing a fully independent, sovereign State of Palestine with the two countries, Palestine and Israel, living peacefully side by side.

Israeli settlement activities have directly caused the stalemate in the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks and also constitute the major obstacle to the resumption of those talks. China is against Israel’s construction of settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory and appeals to Israel to immediately cease its settlement activities and to promote conditions conducive to mutual trust between the two parties in order to break the stalemate in the peace talks.

China welcomes the internal reconciliation agreement among the Palestinian parties and hopes that they will use it to strengthen internal unity and cooperation and play an active role in moving the Middle East peace process forward.

The solution to the Middle East issue is inseparable from vigorous support and assistance on the part of the international community. China attaches great importance to the important role of the Quartet and hopes that it will soon propose specific programmes conducive to the resumption of peace talks between the two parties. China hopes that the international community will display the necessary political wisdom and courage and strengthen its efforts to promote peace negotiations and that it will continue its tireless efforts to facilitate the resumption of the peace talks. China has noted the recent proposals and initiatives put forward by the relevant parties and is open to any diplomatic efforts and initiatives conducive to breaking the current stalemate.

The Middle East question has long been on the Council’s agenda. China favours the Council’s more active and practical involvement in this issue, as well as a greater role for the Council in revitalizing the Middle East peace process.

In order to achieve a comprehensive, lasting and just peace in the Middle East, the peace talks between Lebanon and Israel and between Syria and Israel, as part of the Middle East process, should be conducted in parallel. All relevant parties should create conditions conducive to dialogue and negotiation in order to put an end to the prolonged confrontation and resulting tensions in the Middle East.

China has resolutely supported the just cause of the Palestinian people to restore their legitimate sovereign rights and supports the establishment of a fully sovereign and independent State of Palestine. China congratulates Palestine for subscribing to the choice of peace, and China will continue to support the just cause of the Palestinian people. We sincerely hope that the goal of establishing an independent state of Palestine will be achieved at an early date.