Xi Jinping supports Palestine as a member of the UN

President Xi Jinping affirmed China's support for Palestine to become a full member of the United Nations, when receiving President Mahmud Abbas in Beijing.

"China supports Palestine becoming a full member state of the United Nations (UN)," Xi said during a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas on June 14. "The fundamental path to resolving the Palestine issue lies in establishing an independent Palestinian state."

The Palestinian president is on his fifth official visit to China until June 16, where he will meet with top Chinese leaders. At a welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Xi told Abbas that China is “ready to strengthen coordination and cooperation with the Palestinian side.”

"Today we will jointly announce the establishment of the China-Palestine strategic partnership. This will be an important milestone in the history of bilateral relations," the Chinese president said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping (right) shakes hands with Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on June 14. Photo: AFP — Chinese President Xi Jinping (right) shakes hands with Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on June 14. Photo: *AFP*

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin last week called President Abbas "a long-time good friend of the Chinese people."

During Abbas’s visit, the two countries will discuss ways to boost bilateral ties and address long-standing challenges to Palestinian-Israeli relations. Beijing has sought to increase its role in the Middle East, challenging US influence in the region.

Efforts to find a lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian issue are not easy, as peace talks between the two sides have been stalled since 2014. In April, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang told his Israeli and Palestinian counterparts that Beijing was willing to support peace talks between the two sides.

Mr. Qin also told Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Maliki that China supports resuming negotiations as soon as possible. He stressed that Beijing promotes peace negotiations on the basis of implementing the "two-state solution".

During a summit with Arab countries in Saudi Arabia last December, President Xi Jinping also met with Mr Abbas and pledged to "work towards an early and most just and lasting solution to the Palestinian issue".

President Abbas applied for full UN membership in September 2011, but the Security Council rejected it. The UN granted observer state status to Palestine in a vote in November 2012. The UN resolution during the vote expressed the wish that the Security Council "positively consider" Palestine's request for full membership.

Huyen Le (According to AFP )

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