Mr.President,

The question of Palestine is at the root of instability in the Middle East. At present, the Middle East peace process is at a standstill, combined with the ongoing conflict over the final status of Jerusalem, the grim humanitarian situation in the occupied Palestinian territories, and the continuing development of the settlements, all of which China finds deeply disturbing.

At the same time, the absence of peace in the entire Middle East region, the protracted tension in the Gulf, the rapidly evolving hot-spot issues, and political turbulence in many countries that lacks solution, such regional chaos has provided opportunities for terrorist forces and has caused serious spillover effects. These deserve serious attention.

China is a sincere good friend, a partner and brother of the Palestinian people. It firmly supports the just cause of the Palestinian people to restore their legitimate national rights. On November 27, the United Nations held the Special Commemorative Meeting in Observance of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message to the Meeting, in which he reiterated that China supports Palestine in building an independent and fully sovereign state on the basis of the 1967 borders and with East Jerusalem as its capital. China is a staunch supporter of peace in Palestine and Israel. It is in the shared interest of the international community to find a comprehensive and just solution to the Palestinian issue, and to help Palestine and Israel achieve peaceful coexistence and common development.

China supports the political settlement of the Palestinian issue through negotiation, and appreciates the active mediation by the United Nations, Egypt and other parties to push for a ceasefire agreement. China calls on all parties to remain calm and exercise restraint to avoid intensifying confrontations and conflicts, and to remain committed to rebuilding and consolidating mutual trust so as to create favorable conditions for the relaunching of peace talks between Palestine and Israel.

On the question of Palestine, relevant UN resolutions, the "two-state solution" and the "land for peace" principle represent the bottom line of fairness and justice, and must be firmly safeguarded.

China commends the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East for its assistance to the Palestinian refugees. China has, for a long time, provided political and financial support to the Agency's work. We are ready to continue to provide assistance to the Palestinian refugees and to support the economic and social development.

China supports the realization of lasting peace and security in the Middle East as soon as possible. China stands for a common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security architecture in the Middle East. In order to encourage all parties to explore new ideas and open up new paths concerning security and governance in the Middle East, on November 27, China hosted the Middle East Security Forum in Beijing, with a broad and active participation by officials in the diplomatic and security fields, and scholars from the relevant countries in the Middle East and beyond.

When meeting with foreign guests, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi elaborated on the Chinese proposal for the security issues in the Middle East, by suggesting that first is to stay committed to the correct direction of a political settlement, second is to defend the basic principles of fairness and justice, third is to leverage the key role of the United Nations, and fourth is to forge synergy in the region and the international community. The participants reached broad consensus on this.

Special Envoy of the Chinese government on the Middle East issue, Mr. Zhai Jun, recently visited countries in the region and has been in close contact with relevant parties. He called on all parties to adhere to the basic norms governing international relations, stay committed to dialogue and consultation, and find a solution that is in line with the realities of the Middle East and can accommodate the interests of all parties.

Justice may be delayed, but it will come. China will continue to work tirelessly to safeguard fairness and justice, and maintain regional peace and stability. It will remain a firm builder of peace in the Middle East, a promoter of stability and a contributor to the development in the Middle East.

Thank you Mr. President.