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China's special envoy to the Middle East, Wang Shijie, said in Beijing Wednesday that he is hopeful about the resumption of the Middle East peace talks, but it is a long road to peace talks that may be fraught with difficulties.
Upon his return from the Middle East, Wang said at a press briefing that Israel had not accepted the "road map" plan during his stay in the Middle East, but its acceptance soon after represents good progress.
Wang said that he is hopeful about the Middle East peace talks for three reasons.
First, both Palestine and Israel feel that the violence they have suffered has inflicted horrible pain and that the current situation of violence is untenable, Wang said.
Second, the leaders of both sides have come to realize that military and violent means cannot resolve their problem, Wang said.
Palestine earlier announced that it agrees to solve the Palestinian question and establish a Palestinian State through peaceful means, while Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said that only peace talks can solve the Middle East question when accepting the "road map" plan, Wang said.
In addition, Wang said, the international community is paying more attention to the Middle East peace talks and the United States, in particular, has taken a series of measures on this question.
With regard to the difficulties of the peace talks, Wang said both sides harbor deep resentment and lack mutual trust, and both sides are facing intense internal pressure, he said.
As the talks progress, issues like refugees, Jerusalem and water resources will be more difficult to resolve, he added.
In addition, some unexpected events may create obstacles and hinder the peace process, and some are also worried that international participation may be reduced, he added.
(Xinhua News Agency May 29, 2003)
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