BEIJING: Hailing the establishment of strategic ties with Palestine, Chinese President Xi Jinping in an interaction with his Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday reiterated his call for Palestine state to become a “full member” of the United Nations, state media reported.

At a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People, Xi also told him that Beijing is willing to play a positive role to help the Palestinians achieve internal reconciliation and promote peace talks with Israel.

China’s position during a summit with Arab countries in Saudi Arabia in December, though the latest call comes as the Asian powerhouse works to strengthen its role as mediator in the Middle East. “China supports Palestine in becoming a full member State of the United Nations,” Xi said during a meeting with Abbas in Beijing, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.

The US opposes full Palestinian UN membership, barring a peace deal with Israel, a step requiring a vote in the Security Council where the US, like China, holds a veto.

Beijing willing to help foster Palestinian peacemaking with Israel

Abbas will be in the Chinese capital until Friday, his fifth official visit to the world’s second-largest economy.

Strategic partner

Xi told Abbas that China was “ready to strengthen coordination and cooperation with the Palestinian side”.

“Today, we will jointly announce the establishment of a China-Palestine strategic partnership, which will be an important milestone in the history of bilateral relations,” Xi said.

Both signed a number of bilateral cooperation documents. Those include an economic and technological cooperation pact, a deal on mutual visa exemption for diplomatic passports, and a friendship between the Chinese city of Wuhan and Ramallah, seat of the Palestinian government in the occupied West Bank.

Xi also said the international community should increase development and humanitarian assistance to the Palestinians.

He also said Beijing would continue to stand up for the Palestinian side in multilateral forums, state media reported.

“The fundamental solution to the Palestinian issue lies in the establishment of an independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital,” Xi said, according to Chinese state media.

Xi met Abbas during the December trip and pledged to “work for an early, just and durable solution to the Palestinian issue”.

The two sides are using the opportunity to discuss ways to advance relations and resolve longstanding challenges to the Palestinian-Israel relationship.

‘Old and good friend’

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin called long-time Palestinian leader Abbas an “old and good friend of the Chinese people” during a regular media briefing last week.

Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang told his Israeli and Palestinian counterparts in April that his country was willing to aid peace negotiations, Xinhua reported.

And Qin told Palestinian foreign minister Riyad Al-Maliki that Beijing supports the resumption of talks as soon as possible, according to the state news agency.

In both calls Qin emphasised China’s push for peace talks on the basis of implementing a “two-state solution”.

Published in Dawn, June 15th, 2023