China: Proposed UN Force to W. Bank Serves Interests of Both Sides

China said in United Nation on Thursday that the proposed sending of a UN observer mission to the West Bank and Gaza Strip is in the interests of both Palestinians and Israelis.

At the request of the Palestinians, the United Nations Security Council held an open debate on establishment and deployment of a U. N. observer mission in the occupied Palestinian territories which is strongly demanded by the Palestinians.

Addressing the open debate, Chinese Permanent Representative to the United Nations Wang Yingfan said the proposal to send a UN mission to the occupied territories, which has won wide support from the Security Council, is aimed to ease and calm down the ongoing violence between Palestinians and Israelis and is in the interests of both Palestinian and Israeli sides.

At the same time, Wang noted that the understanding, support and cooperation from the Israeli side would be very essential for the smooth deployment of the observer mission and its subsequent successful implementation of the mandate.

Wang expressed the hope that the Israeli side would take this proposal into positive consideration.

At present, the peace process in the Middle East has entered into a very crucial period, and the immediate priority for both sides is to stop the violence and resume peace talks, he stressed.

Palestinians once again wrote a letter to the Security Council on Monday, calling for an urgent meeting to discuss the establishment and deployment of a UN protection force in the occupied Palestinian territories. This is the second time since last September that the Palestinians want the council to make such a decision.

More than 400 people, mostly Palestinians, have been killed since the recent violence erupted last September which was prompted by a visit of the then Israeli opposition leader Ariel Sharon to a Jerusalem holy shrine.

(Xinhua 03/16/2001)