Palestinians hopeful for peace as Fatah, Hamas factions hold talks in Beijing

People in Palestine have expressed their support for efforts to secure peace by their leaders as the two Palestinian factions have met in Beijing under Chinese mediation.

At the invitation of China, representatives of the Palestinian National Liberation Movement (Fatah) and the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) recently came to Beijing for in-depth and candid talks on promoting intra-Palestinian reconciliation, and achieved positive progress, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman confirmed on Tuesday.

The two sides agreed to continue this dialog process and strive for the early realization of Palestinian unity and reached an agreement on the next step of dialog, according to the spokesman Lin Jian.

In interviews with China Global Television Network (CGTN), the Palestinian people in the war-torn Gaza Strip commended China for brokering this meeting, calling for a solution to restore peace and normal life of the people.

"We hope that we will return to Gaza soon to live in our cities like the rest of the residents of Palestine. Regarding the news we hear about Fatah and Hamas meetings under Chinese sponsorship, we hope that China will succeed in this role and can pave the way for reaching an agreement that will end these difficult circumstances in which we are living," said Am Muhammad Taima, a Palestinian refugee.

"We hope that it will build on what was previously agreed upon through these meetings in Beijing, and that we will start a new page, especially in the face of these complex political and security circumstances facing the people of Gaza and the West Bank as a result of this aggression condemned by all countries of the world," said Sufyan Matar, a member of the Central Committee of the Palestine Liberation Front.

The internal division between Fatah and Hamas began in 2007 when Hamas forcibly took over the Gaza Strip from Fatah. Since then, the Palestinian territories have been split into a Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip and a Fatah-dominated West Bank. Over the past 17 years, the two rivals have reached several agreements and understandings.

The Palestinian Authority is the Fatah-controlled government body that comprises most major Palestinian factions.

Palestinians hopeful for peace as Fatah, Hamas factions hold talks in Beijing

Palestinians hopeful for peace as Fatah, Hamas factions hold talks in Beijing

Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has launched a series of public-benefit programs to ensure and improve the people's wellbeing in recent years, and these projects have yielded fruitful results, said Erkin Tuniyaz, chairman of the regional government, at a press briefing held in Beijing on Tuesday.

Xinjiang continued to increase investment in educational resources. The children in both urban and rural areas in southern Xinjiang have received 15 years of free education from kindergarten to high school.

Throughout the region, there is one kindergarten for every 102 preschoolers and one primary school for every 783 elementary students. The gross enrollment rate in senior high schools is 98.25 percent.

In terms of employment, the entire region created 482,200 new urban jobs in 2023, maintaining a dynamic zero status for urban households with no employed members.

"We consistently prioritized local employment for surplus rural labor, encouraged them to find jobs outside their hometowns if they wish. We implemented more policies and measures to promote employment, increase income, and provide warmth to the people. We enhanced service guarantees, and created multiple channels to promote employment and entrepreneurship. We worked hard to achieve fuller and better employment," Erkin Tuniyaz said.

In the healthcare sector, local authorities have channeled more high-quality medical resources toward lower-level hospitals. A health service network covering urban and rural areas has been basically established.

Currently, every village has a standardized clinic, and county-level hospitals are able to provide telemedicine.

In terms of housing, a total of 2.7 million earthquake-resistant houses have been built. More than 11 million farmers and herdsmen have moved into new homes.

Xinjiang's public-benefit programs yield fruitful results