BEIJING: China has officially stated that it supports the establishment of an independent state of Palestine based on pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

China understands the concerns of Islamic countries on the status of Jerusalem, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lu Kang said, according to the official Xinhua news agency.

He called for the resolution of the status of Jerusalem in accordance with the relevant United Nations resolutions and international consensus.

He made the remarks during his regular press briefing in Beijing while responding to a question about the adoption of a joint statement by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) calling on the international community to recognise East Jerusalem as Palestinian capital.

He said he hoped the negotiations between Palestine and Israel would resume at an early date so as to promote a comprehensive, just and lasting solution to the Palestine issue.

The OIC on Wednesday declared East Jerusalem as the capital of the state of Palestine and invited all countries to recognise the state of Palestine and East Jerusalem as its capital.

Published in Dawn, December 16th, 2017