DM Monitoring
UNITED NATIONS: A Chinese envoy called for the resumption of peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians.
As close neighbors that cannot physically move away from each other, Palestinians and Israelis must adhere to the strategic option of peace talks and relaunch equal-footed dialogue without delay, said Geng Shuang, China’s deputy permanent representative to the United Nations.
China welcomes the initiative of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to convene an international peace conference early next year, and commends the two parties for restarting civil and security cooperation and resuming the transfer of tax revenues, he told a Security Council meeting on the Middle East.
International players must remain impartial and objective, and work in good faith to advance the Middle East peace process. Any solution to the Palestinian question must heed the voices of regional countries, especially the Palestinians, accommodate the concerns of all parties, and must not be imposed on any party, he said.
The relevant UN resolutions, the land-for-peace principle, and the two-state solution, which represents the wisdom and painstaking work of generations, must be observed and implemented, said Geng.
China notes with concern the continuation and significant expansion of settlement activities in occupied Palestinian territory. China calls on all parties concerned to abide by the UN resolutions, settle the final delineation of the Palestinian-Israeli borders through peaceful negotiations, refrain from unilateral actions that may aggravate tensions, abandon annexation plans, and cease settlement activities, he said.
The past few months have witnessed increased demolitions of Palestinian houses and violence against civilians.
