China firmly supports Palestine in becoming a full member state of the United Nations and will continue to work with all relevant parties to end the war in Gaza at an early date, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Lin Jian said on Friday.
The United States vetoed a Palestinian request to the United Nations Security Council for full UN membership on Thursday, blocking the world body's recognition of a Palestinian state. The draft resolution received 12 votes in favor, two abstentions from the UK and Switzerland, and one vote against.
When explaining China's vote in favor of the U.N. Security Council draft resolution on the admission of Palestine as a full UN member state, Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the United Nations on Thursday said that China finds the U.S. decision to veto Palestine's full U.N. membership bid "most disappointing".
Lin, the ministry's spokesman, said during a regular press conference in Beijing that the general desire of the international community for a just and lasting solution to the Palestinian issue cannot be delayed further.
"The Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations fully elaborated on China's position in his explanatory statement after the vote. An independent State of Palestine has been a long-cherished dream of generations of the Palestinian people. Its full membership at the UN is a crucial step in that historical direction. As early as 2011, Palestine submitted an application. Due to U.S. opposition at that time, the Council's action was put on hold. Today, 13 years later, the U.S. veto led to the rejection of Palestine's application for full membership in the UN, and the decades-long dream of the Palestinian people has been ruthlessly dashed. History and the people of the world will remember this retrogressive action by the United States," Lin said.
"The current round of Palestine-Israel conflict continues to drag on, causing a serious humanitarian crisis. Although the U.S. has vetoed Palestine's application to become a full member state of the UN, the urgent demand of the people in the region for an immediate ceasefire cannot be vetoed, the basic needs of the civilians in Gaza for humanitarian assistance cannot be vetoed, and the general desire of the international community for a just and lasting solution to the Palestinian issue cannot be vetoed," he continued.
"The international community should fully implement the relevant resolutions of the UN General Assembly and the Security Council, fully respect the will of the Palestinian people, return to the right track of the two-state solution, and establish an independent Palestinian state as soon as possible. Only in this way can the peaceful co-existence of Palestine and Israel, and the harmonious coexistence of the Arab and Jewish peoples become a reality, and lasting peace in the Middle East region be achieved," Lin said.
"China always stands on the side of peace, justice and conscience on the Palestinian issue. We firmly support Palestine in becoming a full member state of the United Nations and will continue to work with all relevant parties to make unremitting efforts and play a constructive role in ending the war in Gaza, alleviating the humanitarian situation and promoting the implementation of the two-state solution at an early date," he said.
The Palestinian mission to the United Nations initially requested full UN member state status in 2011. Their first attempt failed because they did not receive the necessary minimum support of nine out of the 15 members of the Security Council.
The Palestinian representative wrote to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on April 2 to request renewed consideration of its Sept 23, 2011 application for UN membership.
Palestine is currently a non-member observer state of the United Nations.
China to continue unremitting efforts for Palestine's UN membership: spokesman
China to continue unremitting efforts for Palestine's UN membership: spokesman
China to continue unremitting efforts for Palestine's UN membership: spokesman
