It's been over a month since the latest escalation of tensions between Palestine and Israel erupted. To date, more than 14,000 lives have been lost, most of which where in Gaza. Days after the UN Security Council (UNSC) finally adopted a resolution focusing on humanitarian concerns on November 15, Israel and Hamas finally agreed on November 22 to a four-day pause in fighting.
Yet the international community still needs more concrete actions to promote peace, a sustained ceasefire, and a de-escalation of tension. As a permanent member and the rotating president of the UNSC, China advocates that immediate, effective and meaningful actions must be taken to uphold justice and maintain peace.
A force for greater good, not for selfish interests
China has no axe to grind on the question of Palestine, has never been absent in seeking a peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine, and has made sustained efforts toward that end. During his meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in June, Chinese President Xi Jinping put forward a three-point proposal, stressing that efforts should be made to establish an independent State of Palestine, step up development and humanitarian aid to Palestine, and move towards peace talks.
At the recent BRICS extraordinary summit on the Middle East, President Xi once again emphasized that the only viable way to break the cycle of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict lies in the two-state solution, which restores the legitimate national rights of Palestinians within an independent State of Palestine.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had extensive communication and exchanges with leaders from over a dozen countries, and held talks with the delegation of Arab-Islamic foreign ministers, calling for an end of violence, restoration of peace, a specific timetable to the resumption of peace talks between Palestine and Israel, and a speedy, comprehensive, just and enduring settlement of the question of Palestine.
China's Special Envoy on the Middle East Issue Zhai Jun visited relevant countries in the region in a bid to seek a cessation of violence. China has also provided humanitarian assistance and emergency supplies to help ease the humanitarian plight in Gaza through the Palestinian National Authority and UN agencies and with the help of Egypt.
Since assuming the rotating presidency of the UNSC for November, China has made clear that tackling the ongoing conflict is a top priority, and that it will do its utmost for restoring peace in Palestine. Its efforts to make possible the first UNSC resolution since this round of conflict was welcomed by the international community.
Insights from China's major initiatives
There is no simple solution to a complex issue like the question of Palestine. In this regard, China's three major initiatives put forward by President Xi Jinping in recent years for building a global community of shared future, namely the Global Development Initiative (GDI), Global Security Initiative (GSI) and Global Civilization Initiative (GCI), have practical insights to offer.
On development, the GDI advocates that prosperity and security are indivisible and that lasting peace cannot be achieved without development. As UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres put it, "attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum." The occupation of more than five decades has derailed the social and economic development of Palestine and planted seeds of instability and insecurity. It is vital for the international community to strengthen development assistance and humanitarian aid to Palestine, and better safeguard the right to subsistence of its people.
Regarding security, Palestine and Israel are and will remain each other's neighbor. Seeking one's own absolute security with unilateral actions will only aggravate tensions and undermine mutual trust. The key to breaking the vicious cycle of violence lies in common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security advocated by the GSI. Sustained efforts are needed to promote peace talks and support relevant parties in seeking the biggest common denominator, so as to find a way out of the security dilemma in the Middle East based on dialogue and consultation.
Exchanges between civilizations are an important means to rise above differences and achieve harmonious coexistence. The GCI emphasizes that enhancing inter-civilization dialogue can be an effective remedy to fix the problem of confrontation and conflict. Countries within and outside the Middle East may further unlock the power of civilizations and jointly act on the GCI to inject more stability into the region and achieve the harmonious coexistence between different civilizations.
The Middle East is again at a crossroads between peace and turbulence. The international community must act with greater urgency and spare no effort to bring an early end to the fighting, achieve peaceful coexistence between the Palestinians and the Israelis, and realize long-term peace and security in the Middle East.