The representative of China urged the international community to promote an early settlement of the question of Palestine

United Nations, 19 Jan (Xinhua) -- Geng Shuang, Deputy Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations, spoke at the Security Council's open debate on the Palestinian issue in the Middle East on 19 January, urging the international community to promote an early and comprehensive settlement of the Palestinian issue.

Geng Shuang said that the new year should bring new hope to the Palestinian people, and the international community should enhance its sense of urgency and take effective actions to promote an early, comprehensive, just, and lasting settlement of the question of Palestine.

Geng Shuang said that last year, the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories continued to be turbulent. Since the New Year, the ground situation has continued to be tense and worrying. China calls on all parties concerned to remain calm and restrained, refrain from hostility and violence and earnestly consolidate the ceasefire in Gaza. Israel, as the occupying Power, must fulfil its obligations under international law to guarantee the security of the population in the occupied territories, to thoroughly investigate acts of violence against Palestinian civilians and to preserve the status quo that has been shaped by the history of religious sites in Jerusalem. At the same time, Israel's legitimate security concerns must be respected.

Geng Shuang said settlement activities in the occupied territories violated international law. China urges Israel to stop the demolition of Palestinian homes, the evictions of Palestinians, the expansion of settlements and the creation of conditions for the development of Palestinian communities in the West Bank. Israel recently announced that it will invest more than $300 million in settlement construction in the Golan Heights. The international community recognizes sovereignty over the Golan Heights as belonging to Syria. China urges Israel to cease settlement operations that may lead to tensions.

Geng Shuang said that at present, Palestine is deeply in an economic and financial crisis, the humanitarian situation is worrying, and the people's lives are difficult. The international community should increase its support to strengthen the authority of the Palestinian National Authority, give it the power to exercise national sovereign functions in the security, financial and other fields, and guarantee basic public services. China reiterates its call on Israel to lift the blockade of the Gaza Strip.

Geng Shuang said: History and reality have repeatedly proved that the "two-state solution" is the only realistic way to resolve the Palestinian issue. The international community should adhere to objectivity and fairness, advocate tolerance and mutual understanding, and provide more assistance for promoting the resumption of dialogue on an equal footing between Palestine and Israel based on the "two-state solution".

He reiterated China's support for the establishment of a fully sovereign and independent Palestinian State based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and its peaceful coexistence between Palestine and Israel and the common development of the arab and Jewish peoples. China will continue to work with the international community to make unremitting efforts for an early settlement of the question of Palestine.