Xi calls for bringing question of Palestine back to right track

President Xi Jinping reiterated on Tuesday China's commitment to working with the international community to end the war, stop the killing and bring the question of Palestine back to the right track of the two-state solution to achieve a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement at an early date.

He also said that China will continue to support the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East in continuing to provide humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza.

Xi made the remarks in a message sent to a UN meeting in observance of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People this year, amid raging conflicts in the Middle East. The Chinese president has sent messages to this meeting for 12 consecutive years.

The event, usually observed by the UN on or around Nov 29 each year, provides an opportunity for the international community to focus its attention on the fact that the question of Palestine remains unresolved.

This year's commemoration is especially painful, as the fundamental goals of the Palestinian people's dignity, rights, justice and self-determination remain as distant as ever, with more than 44,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, reportedly killed in the past 400 days.

China always stands on the side of fairness and justice on the Palestinian question and has provided several batches of assistance to Gaza since the latest round of conflict broke out in October last year.

Noting that the question of Palestine is at the heart of the Middle East issue and concerns international fairness and justice, Xi said in his message that the pressing task is to comprehensively and effectively implement the relevant UN Security Council resolutions to end the war as soon as possible and ease the regional situation.

The fundamental way out is to implement the two-state solution and promote the political settlement of the question of Palestine, establish an independent Palestinian state enjoying full sovereignty on the basis of the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, and ensure the right of the Palestinian people to statehood, their right to existence and their right of return, he said.

He stressed that China has always been a staunch supporter of the just cause of the Palestinian people to restore their legitimate national rights, and has always supported all Palestinian factions in strengthening unity and implementing the Beijing Declaration on Ending Division and Strengthening Palestinian National Unity to realize internal reconciliation.

Xi also said in the message that China firmly supports Palestine in becoming a full UN member and supports the convening of a more broad-based, more authoritative and more effective international peace conference.