China supports the Palestinian people in their struggle to
restore their legitimate national rights, said an official with the
Chinese Foreign
Ministry in Beijing Wednesday.
Li Huaxin, deputy director-general of the Department of West
Asian and North African Affairs of the Foreign Ministry, said at
the UN Meeting for Asia and the Pacific on the issue of Palestine
that, "the question of Palestine remains at the heart of the Middle
East question".
Only through restoring the Palestinian people's legitimate
national rights, including the founding of an independent
Palestinian State, he noted, could an all-round, just and lasting
peace in the Middle East region be achieved.
The Chinese government has provided support and assistance to
the Palestinian people at every stage of their struggle, and has
responded positively to the efforts made by UN agencies, he
said.
As a founding member of the United Nations and a permanent
member of the UN Security Council, China had made unremitting
efforts for the restoration of Palestinian people's legitimate
national rights when the question is discussed in the General
Assembly and the Security Council.
Since the outbreak of large-scale conflict between Israel and
Palestine in 2000, Li added, China had not only worked actively to
promote peace through diplomatic channels, but also provided
humanitarian assistance to Palestine.
This year, China has once again increased its contributions to
the UN Relief Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East,
Li said.
(Xinhua News Agency December 17, 2003)