BEIJING: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday that China proposes a three-step approach to solving the Palestinian issue.
Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks while attending the closing ceremony of a reconciliation dialogue among Palestinian factions and witnessing the signing of a declaration on ending division and strengthening unity by 14 Palestinian factions.
Noting that the Palestinian issue is at the core of the Middle East issue, Wang said China harbors no self-interest concerning the Palestinian issue. China was one of the first countries to recognize the Palestine Liberation Organization and the State of Palestine and has always firmly supported the Palestinian people in restoring their legitimate national rights.
He said the conflict in Gaza continues to drag on, and its spillover impact is spreading. “To get out of the current conflict predicament, China proposes a three-step approach,” he said.
The first step is to promote a comprehensive, lasting and sustainable ceasefire in the Gaza Strip as soon as possible and ensure humanitarian assistance and relief access. The international community should further unite on the issue of ceasefire.
The second step is to uphold the principle of “the Palestinians governing Palestine” and work together to promote post-war governance in Gaza. Gaza is an inseparable and important part of Palestine, and starting post-war reconstruction as soon as possible has become an urgent issue in the next stage. The international community should support Palestinian factions in forming an interim government with national consensus to effectively manage Gaza and the West Bank.
The third step is to promote Palestine to become a full member of the United Nations and begin to implement the two-state solution. A more significant, authoritative and effective international peace conference should be supported, and a timetable and road map for it should be made.
Wang said a ceasefire and humanitarian relief are top priorities, “the Palestinians governing Palestine” is the basic principle of post-war reconstruction in Gaza and the two-state solution is the fundamental way out for the future. “The international community should support the parties concerned in implementing the three-step approach with a serious attitude.”
Palestinian factions agree in Beijing to end divisions, work toward unity
In a rare show of solidarity, representatives of 14 Palestinian factions, including Fatah and Hamas, on Tuesday jointly pledged to end their divisions and strengthen Palestinian unity by signing the Beijing Declaration.
The announcement was made at the conclusion of a three-day reconciliation dialogue from July 21 to 23 in Beijing following China’s invitation to intra-Palestinian reconciliation talks.
At the closing ceremony of the dialogue, Fatah voiced its appreciation for China, saying China’s support for Palestine has never stopped and has been increasing in recent years.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi also attended the closing ceremony.
Speaking to CGTN, Rong Ying, senior research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies, stressed that the signing of the Beijing Declaration is a milestone for Palestine’s internal reconciliation.
This is the first time since the outbreak of the latest Palestinian-Israeli conflict that the Palestinian factions have reached a reconciliation agreement, Rong pointed out, adding the joint statement is of great positive significance to the realization of unity and reconciliation among the Palestinian and Israeli factions.
Rong also said the meeting of Palestinian representatives marks another key achievement in China’s Middle East diplomacy following China’s promotion of the Saudi-Iranian reconciliation, which fully demonstrates China’s role as a great power and as an influential mediator for international conflicts.
In April, rival factions Hamas and Fatah met in Beijing to discuss reconciliation efforts to end around 17 years of disputes.
