Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi chairs a UN Security Council high-level meeting at the UN headquarters in New York, November 29, 2023. /Chinese Foreign Ministry
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday said that China has submitted a position paper to the United Nations on the resolution of the Palestine-Israel conflict.
Wang, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, presented China's position while chairing a high-level meeting of the UN Security Council at the UN headquarters in New York.
According to the position paper released by the Chinese Foreign Ministry following the meeting, China has made a five-point proposal that covers a comprehensive ceasefire and ending the fighting, effectively protecting the civilians, ensuring humanitarian assistance, enhancing diplomatic mediation and securing political settlement.
Speaking at the meeting, Wang said the latest round of conflict has claimed a large number of innocent lives and caused an unprecedented humanitarian disaster, and its spillover effects are still emerging.
"War tests conscience and justice while peace calls for reason and wisdom," he said.
The Chinese foreign minister urged the international community to "revitalize the political prospects of a two-state solution with firmer determination" and advance the Security Council to "take responsible and meaningful actions."
"Fairness and justice for the Palestinian issue lies in the two-state solution, which is irreplaceable," said Wang.
Only when the two-state solution is truly and comprehensively implemented can peace in the Middle East be achieved, the countries of Palestine and Israel peacefully coexist, and the Arab and Jewish nations develop together, he said.
The Chinese side calls for the convening of a larger scale, broader and more effective international peace conference, and supports Palestine to become a full member of the UN, Wang added.
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Full text: China's position paper on resolving Palestinian-Israeli conflict
Wang Yi urges complete ceasefire in Gaza, supports UN's leading role
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi speaks to reporters after chairing a UN Security Council high-level meeting at the UN headquarters in New York, November 29, 2023. /Chinese Foreign Ministry
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Wang said China will provide another batch of emergency humanitarian supplies to the Gaza Strip.
The Chinese side will continue to strengthen coordination with relevant parties, build consensus and make unremitting efforts to bring stability back to the region and tranquility to the people, he said.
Foreign ministers and senior representatives from nearly 20 countries, including Brazil, Palestine, Qatar, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Indonesia, Türkiye, Slovenia and Malaysia, and all members of the Security Council, attended Wednesday's meeting.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland briefed the meeting on the current situation of the Palestine-Israel conflict.
The high-level meeting comes as China holds the rotating presidency of the UNSC for November. It also comes amid an extended humanitarian truce between Hamas and Israel, which entered into force last Friday.
China welcomes the truce, Wang told reporters.
"But there should be no restriction for peace, or expiry date for truce," he said. "Once the window of opportunity is opened, it should not be closed, and once the fire of war is extinguished, it should not be reignited."
Rong Ying, vice president of the China Institute of International Studies, a think tank in Beijing, told CGTN that China is playing its role in promoting the resolution of the conflict.
In the position paper, China has reiterated the importance of formulating a concrete timetable and road map for the implementation of the two-state solution, Rong said.