President Abbas's visit to China will further consolidate Palestinian China relations - visit to Palestinian Fatah Central Committee member Zaki Palestine | China | relations
Abbas Zaki, Central Committee Member of the Palestinian National Liberation Movement and Minister of Arab Relations and China Affairs, recently stated in an interview with Xinhua News Agency reporters in the West Bank city of Ramallah that the friendly relationship between Palestine and China has a long history, and the upcoming state visit of Palestinian President Abbas to China will lay the foundation for further consolidating bilateral relations.
Zaki pointed out in an interview that China and Palestine are "closer friends than brothers". China was one of the earliest countries to support the just cause of the Palestinian people, recognize the Palestinian Liberation Organization, and establish diplomatic relations with the Palestinian state. This year marks the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and China, and the two countries have always supported each other in their core interests. China firmly supports the just cause of restoring the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people and the establishment of a Palestinian state with full sovereignty and independence based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. This is of great significance to the Palestinian side.
Zaki stated that Western countries led by the United States have long viewed the Middle East region with "imperialist" and "colonial" thinking, which has brought huge disasters to countries in the region. Including on the Palestinian issue, Western countries such as the United States have long been biased and practicing double standards, which has resulted in the legitimate rights and demands of the Palestinian people not being guaranteed and resolved for a long time.
He said that China has always prioritized the Palestinian issue on the international agenda and called for a comprehensive, just, and lasting solution to the problem. At the beginning of this month, China announced that it would further donate to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, which fully reflects China's support for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.
Zaki expressed gratitude to China for its support to the Palestinian people at the United Nations and other levels. Building on the good development of Pakistan China relations, Abbas's visit to China will further consolidate the existing achievements. He also said that Abbas's visit will focus on the Arab Peace Initiative and looks forward to China continuing to play a greater role in the Palestinian Israeli issue in the future.
Turning to the first China-Arab States Summit held in December 2022, Zaki said that it was a landmark summit in the history of Arab Chinese relations and mapped out a blueprint for the future development of Arab Chinese friendly cooperation. It is worth mentioning that Abbas will be the first Arab head of state to visit China after the summit, reflecting China's emphasis on promoting the resolution of the Palestinian issue.
Zaki also stated that in March this year, China successfully facilitated a historic reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran, which is an important practice of China's global security initiative. Zaki believes that the successful reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran proves that the political landscape in the Middle East is undergoing changes, and the awareness of unity and autonomy among countries in the region is gradually increasing.