By He Yin, People’s Daily
At the invitation of the Chinese side, high-level representatives of 14 Palestinian factions recently held a reconciliation dialogue in Beijing. They signed the Beijing Declaration on Ending Division and Strengthening Palestinian National Unity.
This was an important historical moment in the Palestinian liberation cause, and an important step to solve the Palestinian question and achieve peace and stability in the Middle East. It has brought precious hope to the long-suffering Palestinian people.
The international community highly appreciates China’s active mediation and promotion of internal reconciliation in Palestine, considering it a clear demonstration of China’s commitment to a just stance and the country’s role as a responsible major country in safeguarding regional peace and stability.
Only when Palestinian factions speak as one can the voice of justice be loud and clear, and only when they join hands and march forward shoulder to shoulder can they succeed in their national liberation cause.
The most important consensus from the Beijing talks is to achieve the reconciliation and unity among the 14 factions; the core outcome is the affirmation of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as the sole legitimate representative of all Palestinian people; the biggest highlight is the agreement on establishing an interim government of national reconciliation focusing on the post-conflict reconstruction of Gaza; and the strongest call is for truly establishing an independent State of Palestine in accordance with relevant UN resolutions.
Mahmoud al-Aloul, deputy chief of the Palestinian National Liberation Movement (Fatah), noted that China is a beacon of light, and its efforts to promote reconciliation among various factions in Palestine are rare and commendable in the international arena.
Middle Eastern countries believe that the successful signing of the Beijing Declaration on Ending Division and Strengthening Palestinian National Unity fully demonstrates China’s unwavering support for the Palestinian people in their pursuit of restoring their legitimate national rights and justice.
The Palestinian question is the fundamental problem behind peace in the Middle East. Without a just resolution to the Palestinian question, there can be no lasting peace and stability in the region.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has sent congratulatory messages to a UN Special Commemorative Meeting in Observance of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People for 11 consecutive years. He also attended the BRICS extraordinary virtual summit on the Palestinian-Israeli issue, and has put forward initiatives and proposals on resolving the Palestinian question on multiple occasions, contributing Chinese wisdom and solutions to the resolution of the Palestinian question.
Promoting the realization of Palestine’s internal reconciliation and solidarity is conducive to the just cause of the Palestinian people and the early, comprehensive, just, and lasting settlement of the question of Palestine.
China always supports Palestinian factions in achieving reconciliation and solidarity through dialogue and consultation and stands ready to provide platforms and opportunities for all Palestinian factions to carry out dialogue for reconciliation.
Mustafa Barghouti, secretary-general of the Palestinian National Initiative Party, said, “China is decent and honest, genuinely wanting to help us without interfering in our internal affairs, and supports our cause by strengthening our unity.”
Currently, the spillover effects of the Gaza conflict are becoming apparent, causing concerns about the situation in the Middle East. China believes that the pressing task is to realize a comprehensive ceasefire as quickly as possible; the key priority is to ensure humanitarian assistance; and the fundamental way out is to implement the two-State solution.
At the opening ceremony of the 10th ministerial conference of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum, Xi once put forward China’s propositions. He said war should not continue indefinitely, justice should not be absent forever, and commitment to the two-State solution should not be wavered at will.
China, together with the international community, will work with utmost urgency to promote a comprehensive ceasefire and end the conflict. The will also provide multiple batches of emergency humanitarian assistance to Gaza through bilateral and multilateral channels.
During the reconciliation talks in Beijing this time, China proposed a three-step initiative. The first step is to promote a comprehensive, lasting and sustainable ceasefire in the Gaza Strip as soon as possible and ensure humanitarian assistance and relief access. The second step is to uphold the principle of “the Palestinians governing Palestine” and work together to promote post-war governance in Gaza. The third step is to promote Palestine to become a full member of the UN and begin to implement the two-state solution.
China’s initiative, which is rooted in the present and looks to the future, helps to build consensus among all parties and steer the Palestinian question back onto the right track of political resolution.
China’s efforts to promote internal reconciliation of Palestine represent the latest practice in implementing Global Security Initiative and maintaining peace and stability in the Middle East. In recent years, China has put forward a five-point initiative on achieving security and stability in the Middle East, a four-point proposal on solving the Syrian issue, a three-point vision for the implementation of the two-state solution between Palestine and Israel, and has successfully facilitated dialogue between Saudi Arabia and Iran in Beijing, leading to the restoration of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The purpose was to encourage regional countries to unite and strengthen themselves, and to resolve their conflicts and differences through dialogue and consultation.
China has no self-interest in the Middle East and does not engage in “exclusive blocs.” It continues to play a role in promoting conflict de-escalation and easing tensions, firmly supporting the people of Middle Eastern countries in taking control of their own future. Abdulaziz Alshehhi, a senior researcher in political analysis from the United Arab Emirates, said China has become one of the most important forces supporting peace and development in the Middle East.
On the Palestinian issue, China stands on the side of peace, justice and conscience. China sincerely hopes that the various factions in Palestine can achieve national unity and independence through internal reconciliation at an early stage. Looking ahead, China will continue to make unremitting efforts with all relevant parties to contribute to the peace and stability in the Middle East.
