Ashraf AboArafe
On February 18, Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Foreign Minister, answered reporters’ questions after chairing a high-level meeting of the UN Security Council titled “Implementing Multilateralism and Reforming and Improving Global Governance.”
In response to a question about China’s view on postponing the second phase of negotiations on Gaza, Wang Yi said that although all parties are currently following the Ukrainian issue, this issue is not the only issue in the world, but there are many hot issues in it, such as the conflict in Gaza, which the international community should also pay attention to, rather than marginalizing it.
Wang added that what lies behind the conflict in Gaza is the Palestinian issue, which has been unresolved for a long time. It has been more than 70 years since the adoption of the UN resolution on the establishment of two states, Palestine and Israel, but the two-state solution has only been half implemented. The State of Israel has been established long ago, but the Palestinian people are still deprived of their independent state, with many of their people displaced and becoming refugees. The Palestinian issue has remained the core of the Middle East issue. The logic of revenge for revenge and the cycle of violence will not stop without the implementation of the two-state solution, and the peace and security of all countries will be threatened without the guarantee of peace and stability in the Middle East. Therefore, the Chinese side at this UN building calls on all parties to speed up the implementation of the two-state solution, and support the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders. Wang said that the Palestinian factions should truly implement the “Beijing Declaration” and achieve self-strengthening through solidarity. The parties in the Middle East should overcome existing differences and support the Palestinian side in establishing a state. The United Nations should take steps to accept Palestine as a full member state. The Gaza Strip is the home of the Palestinian people and part of the Palestinian territory, and should not be a victim of international politics. The stakeholders should continue to implement the ceasefire agreement, and push forward the next stages of negotiations with a constructive attitude. The principle of “Palestinian rule of Palestine” must also be adhered to in the governance of post-war Gaza, in connection with the two-state solution, until peaceful coexistence between Palestine and Israel and lasting security and stability in the Middle East are ultimately achieved.
