A Palestinian honor guard carries the body of chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat into the cemetery during his funeral in the West Bank town of Jericho, Nov 11, 2020. (NASSER NASSER / AP)

BEIJING - Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Saturday extended condolences to his Palestinian counterpart Riyad al-Maliki over the passing of Saeb Erekat, the secretary-general of the Palestine Liberation Organization Executive Committee and chief Palestinian negotiator for peace talks with Israel.

In his message, Wang said Erekat had long been committed to promoting a peaceful solution to the Palestinian issue and fighting for the realization of the Palestinian national independence for his lifetime, which won the respect of the Palestinian people and the international community.

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He was an old friend of China and made positive contributions to the consolidation and development of the traditional friendly China-Palestine relations, Wang said.

China and Palestine are good friends and good partners. China will as always support the just cause of the Palestinian people to restore their legitimate national rights and push for a comprehensive, just and lasting solution to the Palestinian issue at an early date, he added.

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