Representative of China: The international community should enhance its sense of urgency and promote the settlement of the Palestinian issue

United Nations, 19 Jan (China News Service) -- Ambassador Geng Shuang, Deputy Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations, said in the Security Council on 19 January that the international community should enhance its sense of urgency and take effective actions to promote an early, comprehensive, just, and lasting settlement of the Palestinian issue.

The United Nations Security Council held an open debate on the Palestinian issue in the Middle East on the same day. Geng Shuang elaborated on China's four-point proposal.

The first is to abandon hostile violence and ease tensions. 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.

The second is to earnestly implement the Security Council resolutions and stop settlement activities. Settlement activity in the occupied territories is contrary to international law. We urge Israel to halt 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.

China is concerned about Israel's recent announcement that it will invest more than $300 million in settlement construction in the Golan region. The international community recognizes that sovereignty over the Golan region belongs to Syria. China urges Israel to cease settlement operations that may lead to tensions.

The third is to pay attention to the economy and people's livelihood and increase humanitarian assistance. 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.

The fourth is to pool efforts to implement the "two-country plan." 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".

Geng Shuang stressed that the root cause of the Palestinian question is Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories. The fundamental way out of solving the problem lies in implementing the "two-state solution" in a down-to-earth manner. The Council and the international community should seize on the key and fundamental issues of the Middle East peace process, rather than leaving the end in sight.

Geng Shuang reiterated that China supports the establishment of a fully sovereign and independent Palestinian State based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and supports the peaceful coexistence of 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. (End)

Source: China News Network