International Sharp Review | "Three Point Proposition" Explains China's Always Speaking Fairly and Dealing with Affairs in the Middle East | Palestine | Middle East
"China supports the just cause of Palestine" and "China's responsible image and status as a major power have once again become prominent"... In recent days, Middle Eastern media such as the Egyptian newspaper "Republic Daily" and Qatar Al Jazeera TV have highly praised China's three proposals on the Palestinian issue.
Starting from the 13th, Palestinian President Abbas will conduct a four-day state visit to China. He is the first Arab head of state received by the Chinese side this year, known as an "old friend and good friend of the Chinese people.".The outside world believes that this will create a new top-level design for the development of bilateral relations and promote cooperation in various fields to a new level.
The significance of understanding the three propositions can be traced back to the background of Abbas's visit to China. Since the beginning of this year, Saudi Arabia and Iran have shook hands and reached peace with China's mediation, ushering in a wave of reconciliation in the Middle East. In this context, people have expectations for the resolution of the core issue of the Middle East - the Palestinian issue. A recent poll released on the Saudi Arabian News website showed that 80% of respondents expressed support for China's role in the Palestinian Israeli peace talks after Beijing successfully promoted the resumption of diplomatic relations between Saudi and Iranian countries.
From the content of the three propositions, it can be seen that they are in line with the four propositions proposed by China in 2013 and 2017, and directly point to the current difficulties faced by the Palestinian Israeli peace process, which can be said to be targeted and provide direction for the resolution of the Palestinian issue.
China believes that the fundamental solution to the Palestinian issue lies in establishing an independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital and full sovereignty. This is actually an important part of the Arab peace initiative, commonly known as the "two-state solution" by the international community.
The historical background of this proposition is that during the Third Middle East War that broke out in 1967, Israel occupied areas such as the Gaza Strip and the West Bank of the Jordan River. The United Nations Security Council has twice passed resolutions calling on Israel to return the Palestinian territories occupied in 1967. However, Israel has not fully returned and continues to expand its settlements on the West Bank of the Jordan River.
In 2020, the then Trump administration of the United States launched the so-called Middle East "Century Agreement", which favored Israel on major issues such as Jerusalem's ownership and the legitimacy of Jewish settlements, attempting to empty out the "two-state plan", but was strongly opposed by the Palestinian side. Analysis has pointed out that in recent years, the United States has undergone changes in the governance of both the Republican and Democratic parties, and what remains unchanged is its tolerance and favoritism towards Israel's tough stance on the Palestinian issue. In contrast, China's stance is impartial and reflects respect and maintenance of United Nations resolutions.
At the same time, China emphasizes that the economic and livelihood needs of Palestine should be guaranteed, and the international community should increase development assistance and humanitarian assistance to Palestine. This proposition has strong practical relevance. For over half a century, conflicts and confrontations have led to the stagnation of Pakistan's economic and social development, and the operation of the government and the livelihood of the domestic population mainly rely on international aid. However, some major countries have been generous but failed to deliver, and the promised aid has been delayed.
China has been taking action to help Palestine. In 2022, China and Pakistan signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly build the "the Belt and Road". In that year, bilateral trade between China and Pakistan reached $158 million, an increase of 23.2% year on year. In the joint statement signed this time, the two sides said that they would continue to promote cooperation in jointly building the "the Belt and Road", and China would continue to provide humanitarian assistance to Pakistan and support Pakistan in implementing livelihood and development projects. Adnan Samarra, President of the Palestine China Friendship Association, said that the Palestinian people are sharing the development achievements of the "the Belt and Road" with the Chinese people.
In addition, the Chinese side pointed out that we must adhere to the correct direction of peace talks. This is the only way to resolve the Palestinian Israeli issue. Due to issues such as Jewish settlements, the Israeli Palestinian peace talks have come to a standstill since 2014. Since the beginning of this year, over a hundred Palestinians have died in conflicts, and Israel has also suffered civilian casualties. The resumption of peace talks is urgent. The Chinese side emphasizes that respecting the historical status quo of the religious holy sites in Jerusalem, rejecting extremist and provocative words and actions, will help cool down the situation and create conditions for the resumption of peace talks. The Diplomat of the United States evaluates China as the "true center of gravity".
There is an Arabic proverb that goes, "There is no unchanging norm.". The Chinese side is promoting dialogue between Palestine and Israel to resolve differences, hoping for a positive change in the "normal" situation where Palestine and Israel are deeply deadlocked. China has no selfish interests in the Palestinian issue and hopes that both sides will carefully consider the three proposals put forward by China, show political courage, take steps to resume peace talks, and maintain regional peace and stability. It's never too late to do the right thing.
