China supports Palestinian statehood bid, says Palestinian envoy
Beijing pledges $1 million in aid, reportedly opposes Israeli ‘aggression’
BEIJING (AP) — A Palestinian
envoy said Friday that he hoped China would play a greater role in
supporting his people in their conflict with Israel as a counterweight
to the United States’ influence over the peace process.
Bassam al-Salhi told The Associated Press in
Beijing following a meeting with Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi that China
said it backed the Palestinians in the Gaza conflict and in their bid
to upgrade their status at the United Nations. He said Beijing was
giving them $1 million in aid.
But Al-Salhi said Beijing could still do more for the Palestinians.
“We think that China should, can take more (of
a) role in the area, to support ending the occupation and have the
peace process more balanced, because we think the Israelis are using all
the time the position of the United States, which is supporting the
Israelis,” he said.
The talks in Beijing followed Gaza’s first day
of calm after the fiercest fighting in years between Israel and Hamas
militants. A ceasefire Wednesday ended eight days of airstrikes and
artillery attacks by Israel and rocket attacks by Palestinian militants
that killed 161 Palestinians and six Israelis.
China’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua
Chunying told reporters in a routine briefing that Yang told al-Salhi
that Beijing hopes that all sides will maintain their commitment to the
ceasefire.
The foreign minister told al-Salhi that “the
Gaza conflict underscores again the significance and urgency of
resolving the Palestine issue,” she said.
“The global community should fully appreciate
the gravity of this, make greater efforts in making peace and
negotiation possible, and help Palestine and Israel resume talks as soon
as possible and achieve substantial progress,” Hua described Yang as
saying.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas wants
China’s help in pressing for an upgrade in the Palestinians’ UN status
from permanent observer to nonmember observer, which could boost their
chances of joining additional UN bodies such as the International
Criminal Court, where they could attempt to prosecute Israel.
Israel and the United States oppose the move,
saying Palestinians should negotiate their statehood via peace talks and
not conduct unilateral moves.
China has increasingly played a more active
diplomatic role in the Middle East. It recently announced its own
four-point plan for a political solution to the Syrian conflict,
although observers said it was vague and did not significantly add to
past peace plans that have failed.
The Egyptian-sponsored ceasefire that took
effect Wednesday night in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict aims to halt
years of Palestinian rocket attacks on southern Israel and ease border
closings that have stifled Gaza’s economy. But vague language in the
agreement and deep hostility between the combatants make it far from
certain that the bloodshed will end.
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