Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi on Wednesday expressed hope that substantial progress will be made in the upcoming Washington conference on Middle East peace.

The talks between the Palestinians and the Israelis have yielded positive progress recently, as the situation moves in a direction favorable to promoting the peace process, Yang said at a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on the sidelines of the 62nd session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Abbas briefed Yang on the political preparations for the upcoming Middle East peace conference in Washington, saying the Palestinian side will be working jointly with relevant parties trying to achieve substantial results at the gathering.

(Xinhua News Agency September 27, 2007)