China offers peace talks mediation between Israel and Palestine
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BEIJING – China has offered to facilitate efforts for peace talks between Palestine and Israel in order to prevent the intensifying conflict from escalating.
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang extended the offer during separate calls to Palestinian and Israeli counterparts. The development comes after Beijing hosted successful peace talks between Saudi Arabia and Iran, restoring their bilateral relations after a hiatus of several years.
In his telephonic conversation with Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Eli Cohen, Qin Gang said that China is concerned about the current tension between Israel and Palestine, “and the pressing priority now is to bring the situation under control and prevent the conflict from escalating or even getting out of control”.
“All parties should stay calm and exercise restraint, and refrain from any radical or provocative words and actions. The fundamental way out is to resume peace talks, and implement the two-state solution. It is never too late to do the right thing. China encourages Israel and Palestine to show political courage, and take a step forward to resume peace talks, and China is ready to facilitate efforts in this direction,” read the statement issued by the office the Chinese foreign ministry.
The Chinese minister informed his counterpart that President Xi Jinping had proposed the Global Security Initiative, and “China believes that the key to resolving the Israel-Palestine question is upholding the vision of common security”.
He said China has no selfish interests on this issue, and only hopes that Israel and Palestine can coexist peacefully and safeguard regional peace and stability.
In reply, Eli Cohen thanked China for its willingness to support the settlement of the Israel-Palestine conflict. Israel is committed to promoting deescalation of the situation, but it seems difficult to solve the problem any time soon. Israel attaches importance to China's influence, closely follows the Iranian nuclear issue, and expects China to play a positive role.
