This photo taken on Oct. 8, 2023 shows the entrance of a school destroyed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza city. (PHOTO / XINHUA)
China’s call for a peaceful resolution to the Palestine-Israel crisis and a “two-state solution” to end the cycle of destruction and disaster in the Middle East has been welcomed by experts across Asia.
Casualties keep climbing over the days during intense Israeli strikes against Gaza Strip targets and rocket firing of Hamas and related militant groups, despite Hamas expressing attitude of being open to “political dialogue”.
China has been consistent on co-existence of Israel and Palestine state in line with United Nations resolutions, and always positioned on the side of equity and justice in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, noted Mehmood Ul Hassan Khan, executive director of the Center for South Asia and International Studies in Islamabad, Pakistan.
The fundamental way out of the conflict lies in implementing the two-state solution and establishing an independent State of Palestine, China’s Foreign Ministry said on Oct 8.
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On Oct 9 Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said, “To end the cycle of conflict between Palestine and Israel, it is essential to restart the peace talks, implement the two-state solution, and settle the Palestine question fully and properly through political means at an early date so as to take care of each party’s legitimate concerns.”
The Middle East is again under threat of further division and destruction, said Ul Hassan Khan. “Right from the beginning, the Chinese leadership emphasized … dialogue, diplomacy, and development to resolve this frozen conflict, which has now become fatal,” he said.
Mutual respect, the granting of political sovereignty, and economic liberalization are the only way forward, Khan said, noting that ongoing conflict will further radicalization, terrorism, political instability, and social disharmony in the region.
A man holds the body of a child died in an Israeli airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah on Oct 8, 2023. (PHOTO / XINHUA)
At a meeting of United Nations Security Council on Oct 8, Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations lamented the constant erosion into the basis of the two-State solution and lack of effective implementation of related UN resolutions
Khalid Taimur Akram, executive director of the Pakistan Research Center for a Community with Shared Future in Islamabad, said that China has expressed deep concern over the recent escalation of violence.
Beijing called for all parties to exercise restraint, protect civilians, and immediately call a cease-fire, he said.
China also condemned attacks against civilians and emphasized the importance of preventing further casualties, advocating for a return to the peace process based on the two-state solution, Akram added.
According to Akram, rather than de-escalating the conflict, the United States inadvertently fueled the situation in the region.
“The world must play an immediate role in de-escalating the conflict through mediation and dialogue and reaffirming support for a two-state solution,” he said.
Akram noted that China further called upon the United Nations Security Council to take the necessary steps to promote dialogue, achieve a cease-fire, and restore peace in the region.
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At a meeting of United Nations Security Council on Oct 8, Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations lamented the constant erosion into the basis of the two-State solution and lack of effective implementation of related UN resolutions.
The search for lasting settlement on the basis of the two-State solution to the 70-year-old crisis is both the international consensus and the only way forward, which must be firmly adhered to, China’s Ambassador Geng Shuang told a UN General Assembly meeting on the question of Palestine and the situation in the Middle East on Nov 30, 2022.
“The peaceful coexistence of the two states, Palestine and Israel, and the joint development of the two peoples, Arabs and Jews, are the long term interests of both sides and represent the common expectations of the international community,” Geng said. “The international community must translate the two-State solution from consensus into action and from vision into reality.”
China can play a crucial role in facilitating peace talks between Palestine and Israel to establish enduring peace, Akram said. “Achieving a lasting resolution remains a challenging task, requiring continued efforts from all stakeholders involved,” he added.
Imtiaz Gul, executive director of the Center for Research and Security Studies in Pakistan, said the Chinese policy in this context has been very admirable and China remains committed to a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
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China has made it clear that it does not want to interfere in the internal matters of any country but it also desires an equitable, just resolution to all the problems including those of the Palestinians who deserve an independent sovereign state, said Gul.
“In that context, China basically stands out, along with a number of other countries who have been advocating for a free, independent Palestinian state,” Gul noted.
“We have expressed that China is paying close attention to the escalation of tensions between Palestine and Israel and urges all relevant parties to immediately cease fire. China will maintain communication with all parties and continue to work for peace and stability in the Middle East”, said China’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin on Oct 10.
The crisis will have spillover effects around the world and could even exacerbate other conflicts, said Karori Singh, former director and emeritus fellow of the South Asia Studies Centre at India's University of Rajasthan.
“Oil prices have already surged immediately after the conflict,” Singh noted, “Obviously, it is leading to a humanitarian crisis.”
According to Singh, after the Ukraine crisis, it has opened a new front of conflict that impacts the global community and divides opinion.
Singh said the global community has a responsibility to stop the crisis spilling over into other parts of the world and restore peace.
“Let sanity prevail over the insane world for the sake of humanity and posterity,” he added.
