BEIJING, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) — China’s Foreign Ministry released a document on Thursday outlining the country’s position on resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Below is the full text:
Position paper of the People’s Republic of China on resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
The current Palestinian-Israeli conflict has caused numerous civilian casualties and a serious humanitarian catastrophe. It is a deep concern of the international community. President Xi Jinping has repeatedly expressed China’s fundamental position on the current situation between Palestine and Israel. It has stressed the need for an immediate ceasefire and an end to fighting to ensure that humanitarian corridors are safe and free of obstacles and to prevent the spread of the conflict. He also pointed out that the fundamental solution lies in the two-state solution, building an international consensus for peace and working towards an early comprehensive, fair and lasting solution to the Palestinian issue.
According to the Charter of the United Nations, the United Nations Security Council has primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security and must therefore play an active and constructive role in the question of Palestine. With this in mind, China offers the following suggestions:
1. Enact a complete ceasefire and end the fighting. The parties to the conflict must effectively implement the relevant resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly and the Security Council and immediately achieve a permanent and lasting humanitarian ceasefire. On the basis of Resolution 2712, the Security Council should explicitly call for a general ceasefire and an end to hostilities in response to calls from the international community, work to de-escalate the conflict and calm the conflict situation as quickly as possible.
2. Protect civilians effectively. The Security Council resolution unequivocally calls for all parties to comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law, particularly with regard to the protection of civilians. It is imperative to end all violent actions against this population and violations of international humanitarian law and avoid attacks on civilian facilities. In addition, the Security Council must send a clear message against the forced displacement of Palestinian civilians, prevent their displacement and call for the release of all civilians and captured hostages as soon as possible.
3. Ensure humanitarian assistance. All parties involved must, in accordance with the requirements of the Security Council resolution, refrain from depriving the civilian population of Gaza of supplies and services necessary for their survival and establish humanitarian corridors in Gaza that ensure rapid, safe entry, unhindered and sustained humanitarian assistance enable and avoid an even worse catastrophe. The Security Council should encourage the international community to increase humanitarian assistance, improve the situation on the ground and support the coordinating role of the United Nations and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in this area. This also applies to Palestine refugees in the Middle East as the international community prepares to support post-conflict reconstruction in Gaza.
4. Increase diplomatic mediation. The Security Council must strengthen its role as a peace broker entrusted to it by the United Nations Charter and demand restraint from the parties to the conflict in order to prevent the conflict from escalating and to maintain peace and stability in the Middle East. The Security Council should value the role of countries and regional organizations, support the good offices of the Secretary-General and the United Nations Secretariat, and encourage countries with influence on all parties to the conflict to take an objective and fair stance and play a constructive role together in de-escalating the crisis .
5. Find a political solution. In accordance with the relevant Security Council resolutions and the international consensus, the fundamental solution to the Palestinian question lies in the implementation of the two-state solution, the restoration of the legitimate national rights of Palestine and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with full sovereignty, based on the 1967 borders and with East Jerusalem as its capital. The Security Council must help restore this solution. A more comprehensive, authoritative and effective international peace conference led and organized by the United Nations should be held as soon as possible to formulate a timely schedule and roadmap for the implementation of the two-State solution and to enable a comprehensive, equitable and permanent solution to the Palestinian question. Any agreement on the future of Gaza must respect the will and independent choice of the Palestinian people and not be imposed on them.