A more balanced approach

Xi's four-point proposal on Palestinian question demonstrates Beijing's willingness to play a positive role in promoting peace

China is hosting both the Palestinian and Israeli leaders this week as part of its Middle East diplomacy. President Xi Jinping welcomed his Palestinian counterpart, Mahmoud Abbas in Beijing on Monday, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in Shanghai, the first stop of a five-day visit, which brought him to Beijing on Wednesday.

It is unprecedented to see the leaders of Palestine and Israel visiting China at the same time, and Western media outlets were quick to suggest that China is going to play a greater role in Middle East affairs in order to expand its influence in the region.

While the international community seems to be concerned about the way China is giving full play to its strengths in seeking to facilitate the Palestinian-Israeli peace talks, it is a positive move for China to take a more active role in Middle East affairs.

Since the outbreak of the First Arab-Israeli War in 1948, bloody confrontations and conflicts between Israel and Arab countries have undermined peace and stability in the Middle East. Though the then government of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization reached a consensus on the principle of land for peace in the 1993 Oslo Accords, the peace process has failed to move forward because of various internal and external obstructions and has finally stalled.

The United States has long been the most influential external force in the Middle East. Since President Jimmy Carter successfully promoted the signing of Camp David Accords in the 1970s, each US president has attempted to promote the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. However, Washington's diplomatic efforts have remained fruitless due to its long-term partiality to Israel.

Unlike the US, China has long held a neutral and balanced stance, and it has managed to build friendly relations with both the Palestinians and the Israelis. The nearly simultaneous visits to China by leaders of Palestine and Israel signaled the two countries' desire and expectations that China play a greater role in promoting the Middle East peace process. Thanks to its strong relations with both sides, China can make positive and constructive efforts to help restart peace talks between Palestine and Israel.