China will continue to push for two-state solution

The Palestine-Israel conflict that broke out in mid-May and was described as the worst since 2014 caused heart-wrenching casualties and property loss. On May 20, the two sides reached a ceasefire agreement — a decision that China welcomed.
Seventy-three years ago, when the first Arab-Israeli war broke out, the Palestinian people started their arduous journey toward independence. However, their reasonable demand to establish an independent nation has yet to be fulfilled.
As history repeats itself in a tragic way and the deep-seated Palestine-Israel conflict again raises alarms across the world, the international community is obliged to guard peace and stop the tragic cycle of violence in the Middle East.
Currently, to de-escalate the tensions, it is imperative to resolve the humanitarian crisis in the region, heal the wounds, lift the blockade and siege of ravaged Gaza, and respect the historical status quo of the holy sites in Jerusalem. The international community should send humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people and support their rebuilding efforts.
Resuming dialogue between Palestine and Israel is the first step toward achieving peace. The relevant parties of the international community should take an unbiased stance and facilitate dialogue between the two sides. The UN Security Council (UNSC) should play its role and take the responsibility to promote peace talks and build trust between the two sides.
China supports the Middle Eastern nations and international and regional organizations, including the UN, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Arab League, in playing a more active role and forming a stronger synergy to defuse tensions.
Beijing also firmly supports the two-state solution to realize peace and tackle the crux of the conflict. Unfortunately, the Palestine-Israel talks have deviated from the right track of the two-state solution in recent years and thus have failed to prevent bloodshed or stop the escalation of tensions. Ultimately, the Palestine-Israel conflict can only be solved in the long run on the basis of the two-state solution. China steadfastly supports the two sides’ peaceful coexistence in light of the two-state solution.
China has done a lot to de-escalate the conflict. On May 16, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi chaired the UNSC’s open debate on “The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question” and made remarks urging the council to move forward with urgency. As a staunch champion of peace, China will never cease engaging with the two sides and mediating through multilateral and bilateral channels.
There is a worsening humanitarian disaster unfolding in the Gaza Strip, where people are in dire need of international assistance. China will provide emergency humanitarian assistance to the Palestinians and will donate money and coronavirus disease vaccines to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. It will continue to push the UNSC to review the Palestinian question and reconfirm the two-state solution, and will also extend an invitation to peacemakers from both Palestine and Israel to hold talks in China.

The Palestinians’ dream of living a peaceful and prosperous life in this region should be safeguarded.

Zhai Jun

As a permanent member of the UNSC, a loyal friend of the Middle East and a responsible major country, China has been working with the international community to promote peace, stability and prosperity in the region. No matter how the international and regional situations change, China will, as always, stand on the side of justice and will advocate the establishment of an independent state of Palestine that enjoys full sovereignty based on the 1967 borders and with East Jerusalem as its capital.
The Palestinians’ dream of living a peaceful and prosperous life in this region should be safeguarded.

• Zhai Jun is the special envoy of the Chinese government on the Middle East issue.