The Palestinian issue is the core of the Middle East issue. In recent years, China has put forward proposals and taken measures to address the Palestinian issue with Chinese wisdom and solutions.
At the invitation of China, senior representatives of 14 Palestinian factions held a dialogue in Beijing in July and signed the Beijing Declaration on Ending Division and Strengthening Palestinian National Unity. The Beijing Dialogue was the most inclusive and in-depth reconciliation talks among 14 political factions held to date.
The most important consensus of the Beijing talks is to achieve reconciliation and unity among the 14 factions. The main outcome is the affirmation of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as the sole legitimate representative of the entire Palestinian people. The most prominent point is the agreement on the establishment of an interim government of national reconciliation focused on the reconstruction of Gaza after the conflict. The strongest call is for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state in accordance with the relevant United Nations resolutions.
Hamas head of delegation to the Beijing Dialogue Mousa Abu Marzouk said Hamas is ready to implement the Beijing Declaration, strengthen unity among factions and advance the reconciliation process to achieve Palestinian national unity. Mahmoud al-Aloul, deputy leader of the Fatah movement, said China is a light and its efforts to promote reconciliation among Palestinian factions are rare on the international stage. EU Special Representative for the Middle East Peace Process Sven Koopmans stressed that this is a remarkable achievement and fully demonstrates China's positive and constructive role in the Middle East peace process.
The key to the Palestinian reconciliation process is to strengthen trust, stay on the right path and make gradual progress. Only by making constant efforts to build consensus and implement it can the reconciliation process lead to ever more substantial progress and greater unity. On the road to reconciliation, China shares the same direction and destiny with Arab and Islamic countries.
At present, the Gaza conflict is protracted and its repercussions are still spreading, as there are multiple interconnected regional conflicts. To help overcome the conflict and the current situation, China proposes a three-step initiative.
The first step is to achieve a comprehensive, lasting and sustainable ceasefire in the Gaza Strip as soon as possible and to ensure access to humanitarian aid and rescue services on the ground. The international community should create more synergies to end hostilities and establish a ceasefire.
The second step is to make joint efforts to achieve post-conflict governance of Gaza based on the principle of “Palestinians governing Palestine.” Gaza is an inseparable and integral part of Palestine. Resuming post-conflict reconstruction as soon as possible is an urgent priority. The international community should support the Palestinian factions in establishing an interim national consensus government and achieving effective management of Gaza and the West Bank.
The third step is to help Palestine become a full member state of the United Nations and begin implementing the two-state solution. It is important to support the convening of a broad-based, more authoritative and more effective international peace conference to develop a timetable and road map for the two-state solution.
The three-step initiative sets out a detailed and feasible plan for peacefully resolving the Palestinian issue, helping to build consensus among all stakeholders and orienting the Palestinian issue back on the right path to a political solution.
China and many Middle Eastern countries are united by similar memories of the devastation caused by imperialism and colonialism, and share a kindred quest for national liberation, independence and self-reliance. China has never entered into a geopolitical confrontation or sought out intermediaries in the Middle East, nor does it intend to create spheres of influence to fill the so-called power vacuum in the region.
China has no selfish interests in the Palestinian issue. It was one of the first countries to recognize the PLO and the State of Palestine, and has always firmly supported the Palestinian people in regaining their legitimate national rights.
There is no simple solution to the Palestinian question and peace cannot be achieved overnight. Reconciliation among Palestinians will bring hope and a future to the Palestinian people and is an important step towards resolving the Palestinian question and achieving stability in the Middle East.
China firmly supports the Palestinian people in restoring their legitimate national rights and supports the people of Middle Eastern countries in taking their future into their own hands. China looks forward to the day when the Palestinian factions achieve internal reconciliation and, on that basis, achieve national unity and independent statehood as soon as possible. China will continue to work tirelessly for this goal and make more contributions to promoting peace and prosperity in the region.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial stance of Al Jazeera.
