At the invitation of China, representatives of the Palestinian National Liberation Movement (Fatah) and the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) recently visited Beijing for in-depth and candid talks on promoting intra-Palestinian reconciliation, and the talks progressed to discussing next steps, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson confirmed on Tuesday.

Spokesperson Lin Jian made the remarks at a regular press briefing in response to a question related to whether the two sides had fully expressed their political will to achieve reconciliation through dialogue and consultation and the issues they discussed.

"They agreed to continue this dialogue process and strive for the early realization of Palestinian unity," Lin said, noting that the two sides highly appreciate China's firm support of the just cause of the Palestinian people to restore their legitimate national rights, thanked China for its efforts to promote Palestine's internal unity and reached an agreement on the next step of dialogue.

(With input from Xinhua)

(Cover: Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian at a regular press conference in Beijing, capital of China, April 29, 2024. /China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs)