Palestine hails China's plan to host talks with Israel

RAMALLAH, Palestine

Palestine on Wednesday welcomed China’s proposal to host talks between Palestinian and Israeli leaders in Beijing.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Wasel Abu Yousef, member of the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, hailed China’s official position on the Palestinian issue.

He lauded Beijing for supporting the establishment of a Palestinian state on lands occupied by Israel since 1967 with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Yousef, however, stressed that the Palestinian leadership’s priority is “to hold an international conference for peace based on international legitimacy and resolutions.”

His remarks came after China’s State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi told the Dubai-based Al-Arabiya TV earlier on Wednesday that the Chinese government plans to invite Israelis and Palestinians for talks in Beijing.

Wang started a tour of the Middle East on Wednesday, with scheduled stops in Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Iran, the UAE, Bahrain, and Oman.

The Chinese official did not give any further details about Beijing’s plan to hold talks on the Palestine issue.

Palestinian leaders have repeatedly voiced opposition to mediation efforts led solely by the US, owing to Washington’s positive bias toward Israel.

Talks between Palestinian and Israeli leaders halted in April 2014 due to Tel Aviv’s refusal to release Palestinians jailed since before 1993 and to halt settlement activity on occupied Palestinian land.

* Ahmed Asmar contributed to this report from Ankara