In the midst of continuing fighting in Israel and Gaza, and the danger of a regional conflagration, China has raised its voice to insist that an immediate ceasefire is urgent and the international community must dedicate efforts to fostering peace talks and economic development, if “an enduring peace” is to be found.
The Beijing Foreign Ministry Spokesperson’s Remarks on the Escalation of Tensions Between Palestine and Israel, issued today was short:
“China is deeply concerned over the current escalation of tensions and violence between Palestine and Israel. We call on relevant parties to remain calm, exercise restraint and immediately end the hostilities to protect civilians and avoid further deterioration of the situation.
“The recurrence of the conflict shows once again that the protracted standstill of the peace process cannot go on. The fundamental way out of the conflict lies in implementing the two-state solution and establishing an independent State of Palestine.
“The international community needs to act with greater urgency, step up input into the Palestine question, facilitate the early resumption of peace talks between Palestine and Israel, and find a way to bring about enduring peace. China will continue to work relentlessly with the international community towards that end.”
The state-owned daily, Global Times, warned in an editorial later in the day, that with nearly 1,000 deaths and thousands of injuries on both sides, there is a real danger of a “Sixth Middle East War,” if efforts are not concentrated immediately on creating conditions for the realization of the “two-state solution” to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The problems in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are complex; “the quick decision of the U.S. and some Western countries to take sides not only does not help solve the problem but also adds fuel to the fire. Considering the large number of innocent civilians killed and injured in the conflict over the past two days, the immediate priority of the international community should be to urge both sides to cease fire quickly in order to prevent further humanitarian disasters.”
Citing a United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) report, Global Times stated what is well-known: The “prolonged closure and military operations carried out by Israel during the occupation of Gaza from 2007 to 2018 have pushed Gaza’s economy to the brink of collapse. Today, it has become one of the poorest and most volatile areas in the world.”
An accompanying “GT Voice” opinion column, specified the additional crucial element required: economic development. Under the headline “BRI Cooperation Crucial for Development of Middle East, Global Times insists: “Given the current complicated situation in the region, seeking economic and regional cooperation could be one of the important approaches to reduce conflicts and create favorable conditions for peaceful development…. Any plan mixed with geopolitical motives is bound to be derailed from promoting common and peaceful development in the Middle East.”
