Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday conveyed to Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas his desire for Palestine to become a “full member” of the UN.
Beijing’s position was made clear by Xi during a meeting with Arab nations held in Saudi Arabia in December, but the most recent request comes as the Asian superpower strives to bolster its role as a Middle East mediator.
During the visit in December, Xi met with Abbas and promised to “work for an early, just, and lasting solution to the Palestinian issue.”
Welcoming President Abbas at the Great Hall of the People, President Xi recalled their joint attendance at the first China-Arab States Summit in Riyadh during which many important common understandings were reached.
Xi told Abbas at a meeting in Beijing that “China supports Palestine in becoming a full member State of the United Nations,” according to CCTV, the Chinese state television.
The foundation of an independent Palestinian State, he said, is the essential solution to the Palestinian problem.
Abbas will remain in the Chinese capital until Friday, his fifth trip there on official business.
He thanked President Abbas for sending a congratulatory letter last March on his re-election as the Chinese president.
Noting that President Abbas is the first Arab head of state hosted by China this year, President Xi said the visit spoke volumes about the strength of China-Palestine relations.
He stressed that China and Palestine were good friends and good partners who trusted and supported each other. China was one of the first countries to recognize the Palestine Liberation Organization and the State of Palestine and had all along firmly supported the Palestinian people’s just cause of restoring their legitimate national rights, he added.
“Facing unprecedented changes in the world and the new developments in the Middle East, China stands ready to strengthen coordination and cooperation with Palestine, and work for a comprehensive, just and durable solution of the Palestinian question at an early date,” President Xi said.
The two presidents also jointly announced the establishment of a strategic partnership between China and Palestine. It would serve as an important milestone in bilateral relations that builds on past achievements and heralds a brighter future, he said.
China would seize the opportunity to work with Palestine to advance bilateral friendship and cooperation in all areas, President Xi added.
