Abbas visits China! Can Palestine and Israel ride the wave of peace in the Middle East? Strategy | President | Abbas
On June 13th, Palestinian President Abbas arrived in Beijing and began his fifth visit to China. Coinciding with the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan, as an "old friend and good friend of the Chinese people" and the first Arab head of state to visit China this year, Abbas's 4-day state visit will undoubtedly have a positive and far-reaching impact on the further advancement of friendly relations between China and Pakistan.
In recent years, the Palestinian issue has become increasingly marginalized, driven by the increasingly imbalanced Middle East policy of the United States. After the Trump administration took office, it continuously crossed the "red line" on many Middle Eastern issues, including the Palestinian issue, such as recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and relocating the US Embassy in Israel to the city. By launching the "Century Agreement," it promoted the normalization of relations between Israel and several Arab countries, making the situation for Palestine in Palestinian Israeli relations even more difficult. After the Biden administration came to power, although there was a slight correction in Israeli Palestinian policy, it still largely accepted the relevant legacy of its predecessor. After the "most right-wing" government in Israeli history took office at the end of 2022, the conflict between Palestine and Israel intensified.
Unlike Western countries, China has long upheld a fair stance on the Palestinian issue and has continuously spoken out for peace between Palestine and Israel on the international stage. China's insistence on the Palestinian issue as the core and root cause of the Middle East issue has received high praise from multiple parties.Adhere to a common, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable security concept; Further coordinate the efforts of the international community and strengthen the joint efforts to promote peace; Implementing comprehensive policies to promote peace through development. The "four point proposition" that runs through China's security and development views is more valuable in the current situation of Palestinian Israeli relations, and it also makes Palestine trust China in the Palestinian Israeli issue.
President Abbas's visit to China coincides with another wave of reconciliation in the Middle East region. On March 10th this year, China, Saudi Arabia, and Iran jointly reached a tripartite joint statement in Beijing, announcing that Saudi Arabia and Iran will resume diplomatic relations. This tripartite statement can be described as a "groundbreaking shock", which not only cools down the gradually solidified camp based confrontation in the Middle East since the severing of diplomatic ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran, but also becomes an important victory for China's characteristic major country diplomacy and the promotion of home diplomacy practice with the goal of "promoting peace and talks". On April 6th, the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and Iran gathered in Beijing and officially announced the resumption of diplomatic relations. It is from this point of departure that the "tide of reconciliation" in the Middle East, the resumption of diplomatic relations between Bahrain and Qatar, the restoration of diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level between Egypt and Türkiye, and the return of Syria to the League of Arab States all mark major breakthroughs in many historical issues in the Middle East.
However, in stark contrast to this wave of reconciliation, the conflict between Palestine and Israel is escalating, and the direction of reconciliation is gradually moving away. The Palestinian side hopes that China can make breakthroughs in promoting peace between Palestine and Israel. In fact, in March of this year, the Chinese government's Middle East envoy Zhai Jun visited both Palestine and Israel, marking his third visit in two years. The Palestinian issue has always been the core topic of the talks. In April, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang spoke with the Foreign Ministers of Palestine and Israel, expressing China's willingness to play a positive role in the resumption of peace talks between Palestine and Israel. It can be said that the peace talks between Palestine and Israel have been deadlocked since 2014. Whether the two sides can ride the wave of peace resolution is not only the realistic expectation of both countries, but also the common concern of all peace loving people around the world.
China is a common friend of Palestine and Israel, and sincerely hopes for peaceful coexistence between the two countries, as well as the joint development of the two major ethnic groups of Palestine and Israel.China will continue to adhere to the impartial principle of promoting peace talks, guided by the spirit of the Global Security Initiative, the Global Development Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative, and call on Palestine and Israel to control their internal differences and prevent the situation from slipping into a more out of control direction.
Rome was not built in a day, and the relationship between Palestine and Israel may not have achieved a fundamental breakthrough due to Abbas's diplomatic visit. However, China, with its thinking that goes beyond "imperialism" and "colonialism" and successful experience in promoting reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Israel, has greatly injected confidence into the international community in promoting peace talks between Palestine and Israel.
