China reaffirmed its support for the establishment of a Palestinian
State on Thursday, saying that without the restoration of the legal
rights of the Palestinian people, it would be impossible to achieve
peace and security in the Middle East.
Visiting Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Yang Wenchang made these
remarks during his meeting with Palestinian National Authority
(PNA) Chairman Yasser Arafat at Arafat's badly-damaged compound in
the West Bank city of Ramallah.
Arafat expressed his gratitude toward the Chinese government and
Chinese President Jiang Zemin for sending Yang to visit Palestine
at the hardest time for the Palestinian people.
Despite the difficult situation, the PNA continues to be devoted to
peace talks and opposes violence against innocent civilians, Arafat
said.
Arafat called on the international community to take actions as
soon as possible to stop the deterioration of the situation in the
region.
Yang said that China keeps a close eye on the development of
situation in the region, adding that China believes that the
Palestinian issue is at the core of the Middle East issue, and
without a reasonable solution to this problem there won't be peace
in the region.
China appreciates PNA's strategic choice of the road of peace
negotiations and the Arab peace initiatives adopted at the Arab
summit held in Lebanon in March.
Yang said that history has approved that there's no military
solution to the conflict in the Middle East and only political
talks can lead to the normalization of Arab-Israeli relations.
He
said that China, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council,
has been engaged in diplomatic efforts to ease the tension in the
region while ensuring the safety of Arafat.
China will continue these efforts in the time to come, he
stressed.
Yang reiterated that Arafat is the leader elected by the
Palestinian people and widely recognized by the international
community.
He
noted that China will continue to provide moral support and
economic assistance within its ability for the cause of the
Palestinian people.
(Xinhua News
Agency June 21, 2002)