China urges Israel to stop "forced construction" of settlements in the West Bank

Beijing - Ofoq News - The Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Friday that Minister Wang Yi informed Israeli President Isaac Herzog of the need to stop and retract the "forced construction" of settlements in the West Bank.

According to the statement, Wang told Herzog during a meeting in Azerbaijan on the sidelines of the seventh summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia that China has always considered the Palestinian issue to be the greatest historical injustice in this century.

Wang stressed that promoting peace and reconciliation in the region is the "cornerstone" of China's policy toward the Middle East.

He added that China believes that the “two-state solution” is the correct path to reaching a settlement, and that the immediate priority is to provide access to the entire Gaza Strip to prevent the spread of a humanitarian “disaster.”

The Chinese minister stressed that Beijing is ready to work with the international community to urge all parties to return to dialogue and consultation as soon as possible and seek a political settlement of the conflict.

Wang: Justice may be delayed, but it will never be lost

Yesterday, Thursday, Wang also met in Baku with his Palestinian counterpart, Farsin Aghabekian Shaheen, and assured her that “the Chinese people will always stand by the Palestinian people, and will strongly support their just cause aimed at restoring their legitimate national rights, and this will remain China’s position regardless of changes in the international situation,” according to the “Xinhua” agency.

Wang added, "The strategic partnership between China and Palestine maintains momentum that stimulates its growth," stressing China's readiness to work with Palestine to further enhance mutual strategic trust and advance bilateral relations.

Wang stressed that lasting peace and stability in the Middle East cannot be achieved without reaching a just settlement of this issue, and said, "Justice may be delayed, but it will never be lost."

For her part, the Palestinian Minister briefed her Chinese counterpart on the latest developments related to the Palestinian issue, stressing that the international community should not apply double standards towards this issue. She also strongly praised the firm and just Chinese position regarding the Palestinian issue.