UN envoy warns on Mideast strife

China’s Zhang Jun supports Xi’s proposal to promote political solution to Palestine issue

China's envoy to the United Nations has expressed concern about new tensions breaking out across the Middle East.

"Recently, the conflict in the Gaza Strip has escalated, the situation in Jerusalem has remained grim, settlement construction has continued, inflammatory rhetoric and actions have been frequent, and the Middle East peace process has stalled," said Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the UN.

"Meanwhile, the situation in the Middle East has become increasingly tense, local conflicts keep cropping up," he added.

"China is highly concerned about this," he said at a meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, held by the Security Council on Tuesday at UN headquarters in New York.

Zhang said China has always been committed to promoting the Middle East peace process and will continue to follow the "four-point proposal" put forward by President Xi Jinping to "promote the political settlement of the Palestinian issue, strengthen communication and cooperation with major parties and countries in the region, and play a positive and constructive role in achieving peace in the Middle East".

Zhang told the meeting that China is assisting Palestine to the best of its ability in the field of development.

On July 30, China and Palestine signed a document on the Implementation of the Ramallah School Project, which will provide hundreds of secondary school students in Ramallah with access to nearby schools.

China also has actively promoted local exchanges and cooperation with Palestine, supported local social development, provided supports to United Nations Relief and Works Agency, and will continue to provide humanitarian assistance to Palestine through bilateral channels.

Ickolay Mladenov, special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, spoke by videoconference from Jerusalem, highlighting the rising violence occurring against a backdrop of political deadlock in the peace process.

He condemned all attacks on Palestinian and Israeli civilians, saying "such dangerous attacks serve only those who want escalation".

The "explosive mix" can only be resolved by leadership willing and capable of returning to the table for meaningful negotiations toward a sustainable and just peace, he emphasized.

Zhang said the question of Palestine is at the core of the Middle East issue and also at the root of regional issues.

"Safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of the Palestinian people is the common responsibility of the international community. Foreign occupation and historical grievances are the source of this complex and difficult issue," he said.

He called on the international community to uphold multilateralism, promote dialogue and negotiations, and peacefully resolve the Palestine issue through political consultation.

"Violence or the threat of force will not help solve the problem," he reiterated.

He stressed that the "two-state solution" is the only correct way to solve the Palestinian-Israeli issue. The relevant UN resolutions, the principle of "land for peace" and the "Arab Peace Initiative" are fundamental principles to be followed.

The international community should proceed on that basis to promote the early resumption of peace talks between the two sides, with a view to establishing a fully sovereign Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. Any new initiative should comply with the above-mentioned international parameters.

Zhang said that while the settlement issue continues to unfold, the prospects of a "two-state solution" have been severely undermined.

"The parties concerned should immediately stop all settlement activities in the occupied territories, stop demolishing Palestinian houses and destroying properties of the Palestinian people, and should take measures to prevent violence against civilians," he said.

"All legal and unilateral actions aimed at legitimizing settlements should be stopped immediately, and practical measures should be taken to redress their impact," he added.

Zhang called for all parties to pay close attention to and improve Palestinian economic and humanitarian conditions.

He said China appreciates the "vigorous efforts" made by UNRWA for Palestine Refugees in the Near East in improving the humanitarian conditions of the Palestine refugees, safeguarding their rights, easing the pressure of the host countries, vigorously promoting regional peace and stability and preventing the spread of terrorism and extremist ideology in refugee camps.