Chinese diplomatic authorities have called for a ceasefire in the war between Israel and the Palestinian armed faction Hamas and expressed their willingness to provide humanitarian aid.
According to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 10th, Zhai Jun, China's special envoy for Middle East affairs, spoke by phone with the Palestinian Affairs Deputy Assistant Minister of the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and made these remarks. Envoy Zhai stated, "China calls for an immediate ceasefire and cessation of violence," adding, "We are deeply saddened by the large number of civilian casualties caused by the conflict."
He continued, "The reason the Palestine-Israel conflict keeps recurring is because the Palestinian issue has been dragged on without a fair and accurate resolution, and the fundamental solution is the implementation of the 'two-state solution,'" asserting, "The international community must work with the utmost urgency to implement the two-state solution."
The 'two-state solution' centers on the claim that an independent Palestinian state should be established based on the borders prior to the 1967 Third Middle East War. China has supported Palestinian independence as a solution to Middle East conflicts. In June, Chinese President Xi Jinping invited Mahmoud Abbas, the head of the Palestinian Authority, as a state guest and established a 'strategic partnership' between the two countries.
Envoy Zhai added, "China is willing to maintain communication and cooperation with Egypt to lead the conflicting parties toward a swift ceasefire and to foster international cooperation," and "China is prepared to provide humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people to prevent the Gaza Strip crisis from worsening."
Earlier, Chuck Schumer, the U.S. Senate Majority Leader from the Democratic Party, criticized the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs' position mentioning the 'two-state solution' as "disappointing." He especially brought this up during his recent visit to China when meeting with President Xi, urging condemnation of Hamas's attacks and support for Israel.
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