China's representative to the Palestinian National Authority Wu Jiu Hong has said China will be among the first countries to recognize the Palestinian state when it is declared.

Wu made the remarks in an interview with the Palestinian News Agency here on Wednesday.

China has already recognized the Palestinian state when it was declared in exile in Algiers in 1988, Wu said, reaffirming that China will recognize the state when it is declared on the Palestinian territories.

PNA Chairman Yasser Arafat said on Tuesday that the year 2000 would witness the declaration of an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. He noted that the definite and firm decision on statehood declaration would incarnate the Palestinian national sovereignty.

As for the Middle East peace process, China has supported the process since the Madrid peace conference in 1991, which kicked off the Mideast peace drive, Wu said, noting that neither wars, Jewish settlement activities nor unilateral move could solve the Middle East problem.

Dialog and serious negotiations are the only means for defusing tension and establishing a fair and comprehensive peace in the region, he added.

The Chinese official urged for commitment to all relevant U.N. resolutions especially regarding the Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Arab countries.

China is ready to offer every possible help to push forward the peace process, Wu said. He pointed out the necessity of implementing all Palestinian-Israeli accords to resolve the problems facing the peace march, urging the Israeli government in particular to put into force the signed accords.

Meanwhile, Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak reached an agreement in the West Bank town of Ramallah on resuming the peace talks in Washington after the Muslim Feast of Sacrifice, which ends on March 19.

The agreement ended the month-long deadlock between the two sides, which provides that Israeli-agreed further West Bank land transfer of 6.1 percent will be carried out within days, a framework deal on a permanent peace will be sealed by May and the September 13 date for a permanent peace accord should be honored.

On the Israeli settlement activities, Wu said the settlement expansion will not guarantee the security of Israel, but rather worsen the situation and escalate tension between the parties concerned, he added.

Terming Chinese-Palestinian ties as strong and distinguished, Wu said that the Chinese people and government would continue supporting the Palestinian fair cause and the rights of the Palestinian people to freedom and dignity within their independent state.

Expressing appreciation for achievements made by the PNA within a short period of time, Wu said China will continue its contributions to many joint projects in the Palestinian self-rule areas.