China’s Ambassador to the United Nations Fu Cong has once again spoken out strongly in defence of the rights of the Palestinian people.
Addressing a UN Security Council Emergency Briefing on the Palestine-Israel Issue on August 11, having expressed China’s concern over the situation, he said that: “Against the backdrop of growing instability in the region, the Palestinian question must not be ignored or marginalised,” and went on to make three points:
- We must get to the root of the problem and truly respect the fundamental rights of the Palestinian people. For some time now, the situation in the West Bank and Gaza has deteriorated sharply, and the Palestinian people have endured ever greater suffering. At its root, this is because the basic principles of international law have not been upheld, while the Palestinian people’s rights to survival and development have long been disregarded. The lives of the Palestinian people are as precious as those of all other peoples.
- We must take decisive and effective action to stop conflict and violence. The situation in the West Bank is escalating dangerously. The occupying Power is advancing settlement expansion plans, desecrating and vandalising religious sites, blockading refugee camps and carrying out mass arrests, while settler violence is intensifying. The protection of civilians is not an empty slogan, but an obligation under international law that the occupying Power must fulfil. The situation in Gaza is equally concerning. Even after the Board of Peace announced progress on the arrangements for the second phase of the ceasefire agreement, Israel has continued to refuse to halt its military operations. More than 300 days have passed since the ceasefire agreement was reached, yet a lasting ceasefire has still not been achieved. The fundamental problem is not a lack of ceasefire proposals, but a lack of political will to implement them.
- We must stay the course and make every effort to revive the political prospects of the two-State solution. Both Gaza and the West Bank are integral parts of the State of Palestine. Israel must end its illegal occupation of the Palestinian territories as soon as possible and cease undermining the foundations of governance of the Palestinian National Authority. The international community should fully respect the will of the Palestinian people, [and] advance post-war reconstruction in Gaza in accordance with the principle of “Palestinians governing Palestine”.
The following article was originally published on the website of China’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York.
Remarks by Ambassador Fu Cong at the UN Security Council Emergency Briefing on the Palestine-Israel Issue
President,
First of all, China extends its deepest condolences to the victims of the severe earthquake in Colombia and sincere sympathies to their families and the injured. We are confident that, under the leadership of the Colombian Government, the Colombian people will stand united, overcome the disaster as soon as possible, and rebuild their homes.
China supports the convening of this emergency meeting of the Security Council, which is timely and necessary. I thank Deputy Special Coordinator Ramiz Alakbarov and Deputy Executive Director Hannan Sulieman for their briefings.
China is deeply concerned about the recent escalation of the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and deeply saddened by the growing civilian casualties caused by the ongoing violence. Against the backdrop of growing instability in the region, the Palestinian question must not be ignored or marginalized. The international community should take swift action to curb conflict and violence, save innocent lives, and uphold fairness and justice. I would like to make three points.
First, we must get to the root of the problem and truly respect the fundamental rights of the Palestinian people. For some time now, the situation in the West Bank and Gaza has deteriorated sharply, and the Palestinian people have endured ever greater suffering. At its root, this is because the basic principles of international law have not been upheld, while the Palestinian people’s rights to survival and development have long been disregarded. The lives of the Palestinian people are as precious as those of all other peoples. The international community must uphold a clear sense of right and wrong, further build consensus, and promptly correct all erroneous statements and actions that deny or infringe upon the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people. We must ensure that the Palestinian people enjoy equal rights and effectively uphold international fairness and justice.
Second, we must take decisive and effective action to stop conflict and violence. The situation in the West Bank is escalating dangerously. The occupying Power is advancing settlement expansion plans, desecrating and vandalizing religious sites, blockading refugee camps and carrying out mass arrests, while settler violence is intensifying. It is shocking that the UNRWA training centre has been forcibly stormed twice. The protection of civilians is not an empty slogan, but an obligation under international law that the occupying Power must fulfill. Israel must implement Security Council resolution 2334, cease settlement activities, curb settler violence, and ensure strict accountability. The normal functioning of UNRWA in accordance with its mandate must be respected.
The situation in Gaza is equally concerning. Even after the Board of Peace announced progress on the arrangements for the second phase of the ceasefire agreement, Israel has continued to refuse to halt its military operations. More than 300 days have passed since the ceasefire agreement was reached, yet a lasting ceasefire has still not been achieved. The fundamental problem is not a lack of ceasefire proposals, but a lack of political will to implement them. China calls on Israel and all relevant parties to sincerely and fully implement the Gaza ceasefire agreement. We urge Israel to comply with international humanitarian law and lift restrictions on the entry of humanitarian supplies. Countries that have significant influence over the parties concerned should take concrete actions to help de-escalate the situation.
Third, we must stay the course and make every effort to revive the political prospects of the two-State solution. The two-State solution is internationally recognized as the only viable path to resolving the Palestinian question. Any hesitation, questioning or wavering is unacceptable. Both Gaza and the West Bank are integral parts of the State of Palestine. Israel must end its illegal occupation of the Palestinian territories as soon as possible and cease undermining the foundations of governance of the Palestinian National Authority. The international community should fully respect the will of the Palestinian people, advance post-war reconstruction in Gaza in accordance with the principle of “Palestinians governing Palestine,” return to the right track of the two-State solution, and work for the early establishment of an independent State of Palestine. Only in this way can peaceful coexistence between Palestine and Israel be achieved and lasting peace and stability be secured in the Middle East.
Madam President,
On the question of Palestine, China has always stood on the side of peace, fairness and justice, and conscience. China will, as always, support the just cause of the Palestinian people in pursuing their legitimate national rights, work to bring an early end to the suffering of the Palestinian people, and make unremitting efforts to restore stability to the region and bring peace to its people.
Thank you, Madam President.
