China extends support to UN conference on Palestine in bid to shore up 2-state solution

ISTANBUL

China on Friday backed a UN conference on Palestine scheduled for next week in a bid to shore up support for a two-state solution.

Calling Palestine a “core of Middle East issues,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said: “The two-state solution is the only practical way out of the Palestinian question.”

Guo was responding to a question on French President Emmanuel Macron’s landmark announcement on Thursday that Paris will officially recognize the state of Palestine at the UN General Assembly in September.

Guo said China “supports the high-level conference on implementing the two-state solution at the United Nations.”

“We will continue to work with the international community to promote the ceasefire in Gaza, alleviate the humanitarian crisis, implement the two-state solution, and finally achieve a comprehensive, just, and lasting resolution of the Palestinian issue,” Guo said.

Macron’s announcement triggered angry reactions from both Israel and its ally the US.

France will become the first member of the G7 – a group of the world’s largest advanced economies – to recognize a Palestinian state. Currently, 147 out of 193 UN member states officially recognize the state of Palestine.

The move also comes amid Israel’s brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023, which has killed nearly 60,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children.

The military campaign has devastated the enclave, gutted the health care system, and led to severe food shortages.

“China closely follows the current situation in Gaza. We hope all relevant parties can reach a ceasefire arrangement as soon as possible and promote the early de-escalation of the situation to earnestly elevate the humanitarian crisis,” said Guo.

Anadolu Agency website contains only a portion of the news stories offered to subscribers in the AA News Broadcasting System (HAS), and in summarized form. Please contact us for subscription options.