Xi pledges continued support for Palestinian cause in message to Abbas
The message stresses a long-standing friendship and says the Palestinian issue must not be sidelined in the Middle East.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has pledged continued support for the Palestinian cause and a two-state solution in a message to President Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.
Xi sent the message to congratulate Abbas on the 38th anniversary of the declaration of the State of Palestine.
In the message, Xi described China and Palestine as close friends and brothers and pointed to the long-standing ties between the two sides.
He said Beijing is ready to work with the Palestinian side to advance their strategic partnership in ways that better serve both peoples.
Xi said the Palestinian issue remains central to the Middle East and must not be sidelined.
He reiterated China's firm commitment to supporting the Palestinian people's just cause and their efforts to regain their legitimate national rights.
Xi also said China will keep working with peace-loving countries toward a comprehensive, just and lasting solution based on the two-state solution, as soon as possible.
The Palestinian Declaration of Independence was proclaimed by the Palestine Liberation Organization in Algiers in November 1988, and China recognized the State of Palestine the same year.
The two-state solution, which envisions an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel, has long been the basis of international efforts to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.