The commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the Nakba on May 15 was highly significant as it once again drew international attention to the question of Palestine and the Israel-Palestine conflict. On this day 75 years ago, the first war in the Middle East. “Nakba” is the Palestinian term for the events of 1948, when many Palestinians were displaced by the creation of the new state of Israel.
A large number of Palestinians lost their home and became displaced. Ever since then, the Palestinians have been on an arduous journey of pursuing their legitimate rights. In marking the United Nations Commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of the Nakba, Qin Gang, China’s State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs released a speech outlining his country’s sentiments on this delicate matter.
Qin noted that for more than half a century, the tragedy of the Palestine-Israel conflict keeps repeating itself, causing longstanding antagonism between the Arab and Jewish peoples, plunging the region into flames of war time and again, and seriously jeopardizing world peace and stability. Until now, the legitimate demands of the Palestinian people for an independent state is still not yet met. This calls into question international fairness and justice.
The Palestinian question is at the heart of the Middle East issue and bears on enduring peace, stability and security in the region. To de-escalate the Palestine-Israel conflict and resolve the Palestinian question, the fundamental way out lies in resuming the peace talks, enforcing the two-state solution, and establishing an independent Palestinian state.
The recent escalation of the Palestine-Israel conflict once again highlights the urgency of resolving the Palestinian question. The international community must put it high on the international agenda, stay committed to the two-state solution, push for early resumption of the Palestine-Israel peace talks, and address the legitimate and reasonable aspirations of the Palestinian people so that they can fulfil their dream of establishing an independent Palestinian state as soon as possible.
Qin said that China upholds fairness and justice on the Palestinian question. It has all along firmly supported the Palestinian people’s just cause of restoring their legitimate rights, and supported the establishment of an independent State of Palestine based on the 1967 border, and with east Jerusalem as its capital.
For ten consecutive years, President Xi Jinping has sent congratulatory messages to the special commemorative meeting in observance of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. More than once he put forward China’s proposals for resolving the Palestinian question, stressing the need to resolutely advance a political settlement based on the two-state solution and intensify international efforts for peace.
China supports strengthening the authority of the Palestinian National Authority, supports enhancing unity among the various Palestinian factions, and encourages Palestine and Israel to resume peace talks on the basis of the two-state solution. China has hosted four Palestine-Israel Peace meetings to galvanize the search for peace. China has and will continue to provide Palestine with humanitarian and development assistance, to assist it in capacity-building, developing its economy, and improving people’s lives.
China applauds the important role the UN has played over the years in advancing the resolution of the Palestinian question and in easing the humanitarian situation in Palestine. As a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a responsible major country, China will continue to work with the international community to put into action the Global Security Initiative proposed by President Xi.
The country will also contribute to a comprehensive, just and enduring solution to the Palestinian question as soon as possible. China also appeals for the peaceful coexistence of Palestine and Israel and the common development of the Arab and Jewish people.
The root cause of the deterioration of the situation is that for a long time there has not been a just solution to the Palestinian question. In recent years, the Middle East peace process has deviated from its original track, the United Nations Security Council resolutions have not been earnestly implemented and, in particular, the Palestinian right to build an independent state has been continuously violated, adding to the plight of the Palestinian people. Without a just settlement of the Palestinian question, Palestine and Israel as well as the Middle East will not achieve true and lasting peace.
In its white paper titled, “China’s Peaceful” published in September 2011, China reiterated to the rest of the world that it took a path of peaceful development and is committed to upholding world peace and promoting common development and prosperity for all countries.
At the beginning of the second decade of the 21st century and on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, China declared again that peaceful development is a strategic choice made by China to realise modernisation, make itself strong and prosperous, and make more contribution to the progress of human civilization.
