Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has urged Israel to halt and reverse settlement construction in the West Bank. He made the request during a meeting with Israeli President Yitzhak Herzog in Baku, the Chinese foreign ministry said.
“Israel must halt and reverse the forced settlement construction in the West Bank“, Wang Yi said, according to a statement quoted by Reuters. The meeting was held on the sidelines of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) summit.
The Chinese minister described the Palestinian issue as “the greatest historical injustice of this century“. According to him, promoting peace and reconciliation in the Middle East is the foundation of China's policy in the region.
Beijing insists on a two-state solution
Wang Yi reaffirmed China's support for a two-state solution, which Beijing defines as the correct path to resolving the conflict. The Chinese foreign minister also stated that the immediate priority is to ensure full access to the Gaza Strip for humanitarian aid to prevent the humanitarian catastrophe from escalating.
China is ready to work with the international community to return the parties to dialogue and consultations and to seek a political solution to the conflict, the statement said.
Differences between Beijing and Israel remain
The Israeli presidency reported that Herzog emphasized bilateral relations with China, including economic, trade and cultural ties. During the conversation, he also highlighted strategic threats, which he said were mainly related to Iran and groups supported by Tehran.
The Israeli statement did not indicate a response from Herzog to Wang Yi's call to stop settlement construction.
The Chinese position was also outlined by the country's permanent representative to the UN, Fu Tsung, at a meeting of the Security Council on September 30. At that time, he called on Israel to immediately cease and reverse its settlement policy, to stop the appropriation of Palestinian homes and encroachment on Palestinian territory, and to limit settler violence.
Beijing links the expansion of settlements to undermining the territorial basis of a future Palestinian state and to a risk to the two-state solution. China also insists on compliance with international law and UN Security Council Resolution 2334.
Sources: internazionale.it, jpost.com