China Stands for Solidarity with Palestinian People

China calls on all peace-loving forces in the world to provide more assistance to the Palestinian people, and urges all parties concerned to return to the negotiation table for an early peaceful solution to the Middle East question.

Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji sent this message to a United Nations conference marking the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People scheduled for Thursday, said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue in Beijing at a press conference.

Zhang said the message reiterated China's principled stand on the Palestinian issue, and expressed sympathy for the current difficulties faced by the Palestinian people.

"We consistently support Palestinian people's just cause of restoring their legitimate rights and interests," Zhang said. China supports the promotion of the Middle East peace process on the basis of relevant UN resolutions and under the "land-for-peace" principle.

China supports a more significant role of the UN in this field, Zhang said.

Zhang expressed grave concern over the current Middle East situation. Israeli-Palestinian clashes not only pose a threat to peace and stability of the Middle East, but have a negative effecton global peace and security, Zhang said.

China hopes the two sides will take constructive measures in cooperation with the international mediation effort, in a bid to ease the current tension and to create a basis for the resumption of peace talks, Zhang said.

Zhang expressed China's wishes to continue to work with the international community to find a just and reasonable solution to the Middle East question.

(Xinhua News Agency November 29, 2001)