China Ready to Contribute to Mideast Peace, Development - Envoy to UN

UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) - China will step up efforts to promote peace in the Middle East and contribute to the region’s development, China's Ambassador to the United Nations Ma Zhaoxu said during a UN Security Council meeting.

On Tuesday, the UN Security Council addressed the situation in the Middle East and, discussed the possibilities of reaching a peaceful solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

“China will step up its communication and cooperation with regional countries and work to maintain peace and stability, uphold fairness and justice and promote common development in the Middle East,” Ma said on Tuesday.

Ma added that China supports a political settlement of the Palestinian question, as well as the idea of an independent state of Palestine based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.

For decades, Palestinians have been seeking diplomatic recognition for an independent state on the territories of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, which are partially occupied by Israel, and the Gaza Strip.

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The Israeli government, along with a number of other countries, refuses to recognize Palestine as an independent political and diplomatic entity and continues to build settlements in the occupied territories.