UN envoy reiterates call for 'objective' settlement of Palestinian question

A Chinese envoy to the United Nations on Monday reiterated that any settlement on the Palestinian question should be objective and take into consideration the Palestinian people's concerns.

"At the international level, we must all remain impartial and objective, working in good faith to advance the Middle East peace process," China's deputy permanent representative to the UN Geng Shuang told ambassadors at a Security Council meeting concerning the Middle East peace process.

"Any solution to the Palestinian question must take on board the voices of regional countries, especially Palestine, accommodate the concerns of all parties, and must not be imposed on any party," he added.

The 15-member Security Council convened Monday for a virtual conference with a briefing by Nickolay Mladenov, the UN special coordinator for the Middle East peace process. Mladenov urged Israeli and Palestinian leaders, as well as regional states and the broader international community to re-engage on the peace process.

Geng urged both sides to uphold the relevant UN resolutions, including the land for peace principle, and the two-state solution, which he said were "distilled from generations of wisdom and painstaking works".

The ambassador warned against the continuation and significant expansion of settlement activities.

"According to the latest secretary-general report, in the past four years, plans involving more than 28,000 housing units had been approved, tenders had been announced for 12,000 units, and construction of around 6,000 units has been started," he noted.

China calls on all parties concerned to abide by the UN resolutions, settle the final delineation of the Palestinian-Israeli borders through peaceful negotiations, refrain from unilateral actions, abandon the annexation plans as well as cease settlement activities, the envoy said.

He described Palestine and Israel as "close neighbors that cannot physically move away from each other" and encouraged both sides to "adhere to the strategic option of peace talks", as well as "relaunch equal-footed dialogue without delay".

Geng expressed China's appreciation of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' initiative to convene an international peace conference early next year and commend the two parties for restarting civil and security cooperation and resume the transfer of tax revenues.

The ambassador noted with concern that the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) is besieged by financial shortfalls as the coronavirus spread across the Palestinian refugee communities.

"Given the current context, the international community must place high on its agenda the economic and humanitarian impacts of COVID-19 on Palestine," Geng said, adding that China applauds UNRWA's "unremitting efforts" to improve the Palestinian humanitarian situation.

"At this very moment when UNRWA is under tremendous financial strain, the world needs to honor its commitments and pitch in with financial contributions to help the agency tide over the current difficulties," he said.

The envoy highlighted the work that China has done to help Palestinians combat COVID-19, including sending medical experts and multiple shipments of anti-epidemic supplies to Palestine, as well as making major donations to UNRWA.

"China is ready to continue working with the international community in an unwavering effort towards a comprehensive, just and lasting solution of the Palestinian question at an early date," Geng said.