Chinese FM says Palestinian issue should be prioritized on global agenda

CAIRO, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang said here Sunday that the Palestinian issue should be taken as a priority on the global agenda.

While meeting the press with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, Qin said the Palestinian issue, which is at the core of the Middle East issue, concerns regional peace and stability as well as international fairness and justice, adding that China attaches great importance to it.

Qin also mentioned that Chinese President Xi Jinping put forward proposals on the Palestinian issue on many occasions, in which he said the historical injustices done to the Palestinian people should not be left unattended indefinitely, the legitimate rights and interests of a nation are not up for trade, and the demand to establish an independent state shall not be denied.

Xi also said that the international community should stay firm in its commitment to the two-state solution and the principle of "land for peace," make resolute efforts to promote peace talks, provide more humanitarian and development assistance to Palestine, and strive for a just settlement of the Palestinian issue at an early date, he added.

Recently, the tensions between Israel and Palestine have mounted, and China is deeply worried, said Qin.

The Chinese side, he said, called on all parties concerned to abide by the international consensus on the Palestinian issue and relevant UN resolutions, and maintain the historical status quo of the holy sites in Jerusalem.

Qin added that Beijing also urged all parties concerned to maintain calm and restraint to prevent further escalation of tensions, saying that Israel in particular should stop all incitement and provocation and avoid any unilateral actions that may lead to the deterioration of the situation.

Last week, China actively responded to the reasonable demands of Palestinian and Arab friends, supported the UN Security Council in holding an emergency meeting on the Palestinian issue, and pushed for a due role of the UN Security Council on the issue, said the foreign minister.

Qin said that the fundamental reason for the intensification of the Israeli-Palestinian situation at times lies in the stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace talks and the delay in implementing the two-state solution.

He stressed that the international community should have a stronger sense of urgency, put the Palestinian issue high on its agenda, push for the resumption of peace talks between the two sides, properly handle final status issues including Jerusalem, and promote an early, just and lasting solution to the Palestinian issue on the basis of the two-state solution.

Major countries with influence should take up their responsibility for those ends, he added.