Chinese Ambassador to the UN Li Baodong addresses the Security Council meeting at the UN headquarters in New York, the United States, Feb. 18, 2011. China resolutely opposes the construction of settlements by Israel in the occupied Palestinian territory and supports the legitimate demands of the Palestinian people, Li Baodong said here Friday after voting on a UN draft resolution condemning Israeli settlement activities. [Shen Hong/Xinhua]

China resolutely opposes the construction of settlements by Israel in the occupied Palestinian territory and supports the legitimate demands of the Palestinian people, Chinese Ambassador to the UN Li Baodong said Friday.

In the explanatory remarks after a Security Council voting on a UN draft resolution condemning Israeli settlement activities, Li expressed regret that the draft resolution wasn't adopted.

The United States, a permanent Security Council member, vetoed the draft resolution. All the other 14 Council members voted in favor of the draft resolution, co-sponsored by more than 120 UN members.

Li said at present, Israel's continuation of settlements construction has become a major obstacle to the mutual trust and resumption of the peace talks between the Palestinians and Israelis.

"China resolutely opposes the construction of settlements and the separation wall by Israel in the occupied Palestinian territory including West Bank and East Jerusalem. We also resolutely support the legitimate demands of the Palestine people," Li said.

China has always maintained that on the basis of the relevant UN resolutions, the principle of "land for peace," the Arab Peace Initiative and the Road Map for the Middle East peace, Palestine and Israel should conduct dialogue and negotiations to settle differences so as to eventually establish an independent state of Palestine with two countries living side by side in peace, Li said.

China supports the Security Council playing its due role in the Middle East peace process. "We also hope that the Quartet meeting to be held on the Middle East question will achieve a positive outcome and will help to break the current stalemate in the peace process," Li said.