China strongly supports Palestinian people, peace process: Mideast envoy

RAMALLAH -- China's Special Envoy on Middle East affairs Gong Xiaosheng said Sunday that Beijing firmly supports the Palestinian people and the Middle East peace process.

The visiting envoy told media in the West Bank city of Ramallah that the Palestinian issue should not be marginalized, and China supports the establishment of a state of Palestine with full sovereignty on the basis of the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.

According to Gong, Chinese President Xi Jinping's recent visit to the Middle East could signal the beginning of a new era in relations between China and Palestine as well as other countries in the region.

It was the president's first overseas tour of 2016 and his first visit to the region since assuming office. When President Xi addressed the Arab League in Cairo, his message was clear: What China wants for a region dogged by decades of troubles is peace, development and stability.

Xi said the Palestinian issue should not fall into oblivion as it is of fundamental importance to peace in the Middle East, adding that to bring an end to the conflict, the international community should not only promote the resumption of the talks and implementation of the agreements, but also uphold fairness and justice.

To improve the well-being of the Palestinians, Beijing promises to provide 50 million yuan ($7.53 million) of grant to the Palestinian side and support the solar power station project in its territories.

Prior to Xi's visit, China released its first policy document specifically addressing relations with the Arab world, leaving no one in any doubt that cooperation and development come hand-in-hand with peace and stability.

On regional affairs in the Middle East, Gong said China has called for an all-round solution to the region's hot issues, stressing that China supports the idea of holding an international peace conference in line with the principle of the two-state solution.

While pushing for peace in the Middle East, the international community should also help its economic development and provide more humanitarian assistance, he said.