Arafat Briefs Chinese Representative on Peace ProcessPalestinian leader Yasser Arafat Tuesday received Chinese representative to the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) Wu Jiuhong and briefed him on latest developments in the Mideast peace process.Arafat told Wu that the Palestinian-Israeli negotiations were embroiled in a cul-de-sac and faced with stupendous obstacles due to the Israeli failure to abide by the signed bilateral agreements and international resolutions pertaining to the Palestinian issue. Arafat thanked China for its longtime support for the Palestinian cause and the Middle East peace process, expressing the hope that China would play a more active role in pushing the peace process forward and bringing the frozen Israeli-Palestinian negotiations to a close. During the talks, Wu noted that China has been supporting and backing up the peace process in general and the Palestinian cause in particular, reiterating that China feels extremely concerned over the stalemate in which the bilateral negotiations have been locked. He further urged the Israeli and Palestinian parties to observe self-restraint and head off any hostile statements or misconduct, hoping that the parties concerned would abide by the signed accords and international resolutions as well as the land-for-peace principle so as to put a stop to the current stalemate as soon as possible. China is willing to seize all opportunities to boost and bolster the peace process, he added. |
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