Chinese envoy calls for lasting Gaza ceasefire, revival of two-state solution

A Chinese envoy on Tuesday called for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza and the revival of the two-state solution at a United Nations Security Council open meeting on the Palestinian-Israeli issue.

Regarding the more than 50 hostages currently held by Hamas in Gaza, Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, expressed his sincere hope that all surviving hostages would be treated well, released soon to reunite with their families, and that their trauma from this tragedy would swiftly heal.

Geng pointed out that the conflict in Gaza has been lingering for nearly two years, resulting in unprecedented deaths and destruction, bringing unimaginable suffering to civilians on both the Israeli and Palestinian sides.

The ceasefire agreement reached in January held the promise of achieving a lasting ceasefire in Gaza and the release of all hostages back to their homes if fully implemented. Regrettably, the ceasefire has been broken, and the suffering continues, he noted.

"We call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire. Israeli military operations have already claimed the lives of over 60,000 Gazans, with more innocent lives being lost daily. This grim reality demonstrates that military means is not the solution, and an immediate ceasefire is the right way to save lives and bring hostages home. Recent media reports indicate Israel's decision to escalate military operations toward full occupation of Gaza, which we view with grave concern. We urge Israel to immediately halt this dangerous course of action and call on all parties to promptly establish a binding and sustainable ceasefire agreement," Geng said.

The Chinese envoy also urged the alleviation of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, emphasizing that the two million innocent people there should not fall victim to war, nor endure suffering from man-made disasters.

Amid the current extreme blockade, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza has continued to worsen, with severe famine looming. Restricting access to supplies will only further exacerbate the collective punishment of people in Gaza, making it even harder for surviving hostages to obtain essential goods, Geng said.

Israel must abide by international law, fully restore access to humanitarian supplies, and support humanitarian organizations such as the United Nations in delivering aid, he noted.

"We call for renewed efforts to advance the two-state solution. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been a cycle of repetition for decades, casting shadows over generations on both sides. The comprehensive implementation of the two-state solution and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state is the only correct path to resolve the Palestinian issue and prevent the outbreak of similar hostage incidents. The high-level meeting held at the UN General Assembly last week sent a strong signal for the implementation of the two-state solution. The international community should collectively oppose unilateral actions that erode the foundation of the two-state solution and intensify efforts to advance the political process of the two-state solution," Geng said.

Chinese envoy calls for lasting Gaza ceasefire, revival of two-state solution

Chinese envoy calls for lasting Gaza ceasefire, revival of two-state solution

Chinese envoy calls for lasting Gaza ceasefire, revival of two-state solution

Chinese envoy calls for lasting Gaza ceasefire, revival of two-state solution

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's official visit to China signals a policy shift towards building a more pragmatic relationship between the two countries, according to a Canadian researcher.

Carney arrived in Beijing on Wednesday to begin an official visit to China through Saturday, which marks the first trip by a Canadian Prime Minister to the country in eight years.

Robert Hanlon, director and principal investigator of Canada and the Asia Pacific Policy Project (CAPPP) at Thompson Rivers University in British Columbia, told the China Global Television Network (CGTN) that Carney's visit indicates Canada is recalibrating its strategic perception of China, which could cement the foundation for the country's economic diversification efforts and boost the development of bilateral cooperation.

"I think it's a clear message that he has moved Canada's strategy to a much more pragmatic, interest-based, -focused relationship with our trading partners, moving away from values-based narratives that we might have heard on previous governments. Canada has spoken about moving from what the Prime Minister's Office is calling "from reliance to resilience", and that means diversifying our economies and our trade everywhere in the world. And so China being our second largest trading partner, it makes perfect sense for our PM to head to Beijing," he said.

The scholar also noted the huge cooperation potential between the two sides in economic and trade fields, citing Canada's efforts to step up shipments of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and the planned construction of an oil pipeline in Alberta which aims to increase export access to Asian markets. "Canada and China both share tremendous economic opportunities together and so finding ways to enhance our exports. Canada specifically looking to build out its LNG and oil, kind of export market. We know Canada is a major producer of critical minerals and China is a buyer. And so there's a lot of synergy between that kind of those kind of markets," he said.

Canadian PM's visit to China paves way for more pragmatic trade ties: scholar