Xi sends congratulations to UN meeting marking Intl Day of Solidarity with Palestinian People

BEIJING -- President Xi Jinping extended congratulations to a UN meeting held on Wednesday to commemorate the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.

In his message, Xi said that the bitter lessons of the cycle of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict fully demonstrate that only by upholding the concept of common security can sustainable security be achieved.

The Palestinian question is at the heart of the Middle East issue, and the crux of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict lies in the long overdue realization of the legitimate national right of the Palestinian people to establish an independent state, he said.

Xi called on the international community to take urgent actions to address the Palestine-Israel conflict, and urged the UN Security Council to shoulder its responsibilities and make every effort to facilitate a ceasefire, ensure the safety of civilians, and stop the humanitarian disaster.

On top of this, the Palestinian-Israeli peace talks should be restarted as soon as possible and the Palestinian people's right to statehood and survival and their right of return should be restored as soon as possible, Xi said.

China has, as always, firmly supported the just cause of the Palestinian people to restore their legitimate national rights, he said. And the only viable way to settle the Palestinian question lies in the establishment of an independent Palestinian state that enjoys full sovereignty on the basis of the 1967 borders and with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The needs of the Palestinian economy and people's livelihood need to be ensured, and the international community should increase development assistance and humanitarian aid to Palestine, stay on the right course towards peace talks, and convene a more authoritative international peace conference as soon as possible, he said.

China has put forward the Global Security Initiative, advocates resolving differences and disputes between countries through dialogue and consultation and supports all efforts conducive to the peaceful settlement of the crisis, Xi said, pledging China's continuous efforts to stand for justice on the Palestinian question, actively promote peace talks and continue to provide humanitarian and development assistance to the Palestinian side.

Xi said that China, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, will continue to work with the international community to build global consensus on promoting peace, bring the Palestinian question back to the right track toward the two-state solution, and strive for a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement at an early date.