UNITED NATIONS, November 29 (Xinhua) -- Only when the question of Palestine is resolved and all legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including the right of an independent state, are restored, can the Middle East enjoy real and lasting peace, China said Monday.

Addressing the 54th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Chinese Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Shen Guofang said the question of Palestine is the core of the issues in the Middle East.

Palestine and Israel reached understanding on the implementation of the Wye Accord and negotiations in the final status of Palestine and signed the Sharm el-Sheikh Memorandum, thus removing the obstacles in the way of implementing the Wye accord, Shen said.

Relaunching the permanent status talks and opening of safe passages in the Palestinian Autonomous Area are yet another achievement by the Palestinian and Israeli sides after serious negotiations, and China welcomes such development and hopes that the parties concerned will continue with this flexible and pragmatic attitude, implement earnestly the various agreements and understandings, direct their actions on the basis of relevant UN resolutions and the principle of "land for peace," overcome the various disturbances and push forward the peace process, the ambassador said.

The Palestinian Autonomous Area is still facing tremendous difficulties in developing its economy and the livelihood of the Palestinian people still leaves much to be improved, and China maintains that helping the Autonomous Area in its economic development will enable the Palestinian people to have a taste of the happiness to be brought by peace and thus boast their faith in the peace talks, Shen said.

For years, the Chinese government has given staunch support to the just cause of the Palestinian people, providing assistance to the best of its capacity to the Palestinian people through various multi-lateral, bilateral and other channels and made untiring efforts and contribution in pushing forward the Middle East peace process and the Chinese government will, as always, work with the international community to continue to strive for a just and reasonable settlement of the question of Palestine, he added.