Chinese FM says two-state solution only way to resolve Palestinian question

The two-state solution is the only way to fundamentally resolve the Palestinian question, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Wednesday.

When meeting the press after presiding over a high-level meeting of the UN Security Council on the Palestinian-Israeli issue, Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, stressed that the two-state solution is the only way out.

“What is lacking for the settlement of the Palestinian question is not grand plans or slogans but the courage and the actions needed to stand up for justice,” said Wang.

“The two-state solution is the bottom line for international justice. There is no stepping back from that. Independent statehood is an inalienable national right of the Palestinian people, a right that cannot be traded away,” he added.

“In the face of the historical injustice long suffered by the Palestinian people, no one has an excuse to procrastinate and there is no justification for inaction. When it comes to the issues bearing on the future of the Palestinian people, no country has a veto right,” said Wang.

The Palestinian question is at the heart of the Middle East issue and must be prioritized, rather than marginalized, on the international agenda, he said, noting that only when the two-state solution is fully implemented can the Middle East enjoy genuine peace and Israel enjoy lasting security.

China calls for the convening of a more broadly-based, more authoritative, and more effective international peace conference to further build consensus on promoting peace and work out a concrete timetable and roadmap to push for a comprehensive, just, and lasting settlement of the Palestinian question, he said.