China has urged the United Nations Security Council to convene an international peace conference with greater authority to find a political solution to the Palestinian problem.
On Tuesday, Geng Shuang, the deputy chief of China’s UN mission, encouraged the UNSC to take “more aggressive and vigorous actions on the Palestinian issue”.
Shuang stated, “China calls for a larger, more powerful, and more influential international peace conference, in which all parties involved in the Middle East peace process and permanent members of the Council should be invited to participate in exploring practical ways and means to politically resolve the Palestinian issue.”
Geng Shuang requested the UN body to collaborate with the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to bring about larger and more effective efforts to promote peace during a discussion on the Middle East’s condition at the UNSC on Tuesday.
According to a statement from the mission, the Chinese ambassador claimed that the Middle East peace process was “still at a standstill”.
He expressed worry about the non-implementation of UN resolutions and claimed that as a result, the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people have continued to be infringed, thus aggravating their plight.
“The key issue in the Middle East that affects regional peace and security is the Palestine dilemma. It shouldn’t be ignored, much less relegated to the background,” Shuang stated.
He further said, “There is no time to waste in turning the tide on the ground.” More than 300 settlements have already been created by Israel in the occupied regions, and more than 700,000 Israelis have already moved in.
As a result, the possibility of a Palestinian state that is independent and sovereign was undermined, thus reducing the living area available to the Palestinian people, he said.
Shuang asked Israel to follow Security Council Resolution 2334, comply with international law, and immediately halt all settlement operations.
