Leave capital as it is, China tells Trump
ON Dec 6, the United States announced its recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. China has expressed its grave concern and reiterated its official position on this issue on various occasions. On Dec 6 and 7 consecutively, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang expressed China’s concern on this issue at the regular press conference.
He emphasised that the status of Jerusalem is one of the core issues of the Palestinian-Israeli dispute and touches upon the feelings of different ethnic groups and religions concerned. Seeking its final solution through dialogue has always been the consensus of the international community.
China firmly supports the Middle East peace process and efforts made to address the Middle East-related issues including the status of Jerusalem in accordance with the relevant UN resolutions. China stands together with the Palestinian people in their pursuit to establish a Palestinian State with full sovereignty and independence on the basis of the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
China calls on all parties to uphold an objective and impartial position and contribute to the early resumption of negotiations between Palestine and Israel for the benefit of regional peace and stability.
On Dec 8, Ambassador Wu Haitao, Charge d’Affaires ad interim of the Permanent Mission of China to the United Nations reaffirmed China’s stance on this issue at the special Security Council meeting. He pointed out that any unilateral action to change the current status of Jerusalem would undermine all the efforts which have been made towards a resolution of Palestinian-Israeli dispute and lead to escalation and new conflicts in the region. China steadily supports the establishment of a Palestinian State with full sovereignty and independence, on the basis of the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. Our stance is subject to no change.
As a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a responsible major power, China will continue to play a constructive role in pursuing a political settlement of the Palestinian question. President Xi Jinping has put forward a four-point proposal for resolving the Palestinian question, including supporting the political settlement of the Palestinian question on the basis of the two-state solution, upholding the concept of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, coordinating international efforts to strength peace-promoting measures, and taking a holistic approach to achieve peace through development and cooperation.
On Dec 9, in his speech at the Opening of Symposium on International Developments and China’s Diplomacy in 2017, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi emphasised that China has always firmly supported the Palestinian people’s efforts to restore their lawful rights.
China supports the establishment of an independent Palestinian state that enjoys full sovereignty with East Jerusalem as its capital and based on the 1967 border. The status of Jerusalem must be determined through dialogue and negotiation on the basis of UN resolutions, and the two-state solution remains a viable, fundamental solution to the Palestinian question.
China appeals to all parties to be level-headed and exercise restraint and avoid creating new turbulence in a region already fraught with challenges. China will implement President Xi’s four-point proposal for resolving the Palestinian question and continue to play its constructive role in bringing together Palestinian and Israeli advocates of peace.
EMBASSY OF CHINA Kuala Lumpur