China says Palestinians, Israelis should return to dialogue

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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called it "a historical tragedy" that an independent State of Palestine has yet not been built.

China advocates the final settlement of the Palestine-Israel issue should be achieved through dialogue and negotiation under the UN resolution, Wang said in an interview with CCTV.

"It has been 70 years since the United Nations adopted the Resolution which provides the partition plan for Palestine, but a Palestinian state is yet to be built even after 70 years. This is a historical tragedy that should not be continued," he added.

"All responsible countries should stand out and speak with a common voice to bring the Palestine-Israel issue back to the track of dialogue and negotiation," Wang said. "In particular, we should follow the resolutions of the United Nations and respect the wishes of the majority of countries to achieve the final settlement of the Palestine-Israel issue."

A two-day Palestine-Israel Peace Symposium was held in Beijing, where participants reiterated a two-state solution is the only way to bring peace to the region.

Wang Yi meets envoys of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the Great Hall of People on December 22, 2017. /CGTN photo

Wang attended the symposium, voicing China's support on the two-state solution and the establishment of an independent State of Palestine, which enjoys full sovereignty by the 1967 borders and with East Jerusalem as its capital.

"We attach great importance to the Palestine issue because we think the Palestinians also have the legitimate right to establish their own country, and this is a common wish of the international community as well. Therefore, we have been promoting the peaceful settlement of the Palestine-Israel issue on various occasions," Wang said.

This is the third time China has hosted the symposium. During the current event, Wang held a meeting with the Israeli and Palestinian participants, including the foreign affairs adviser to the Palestinian president and the deputy speaker of the Israeli parliament.