Top China, US diplomats also share views on bilateral ties, vow to maintain communication
Palestinians fleeing the Gazan city of Khan Younis arrive in Rafah, farther south near Gaza’s border with Egypt, on Dec 5, 2023, after Israeli forces were seen on Dec 4 on the outskirts of Khan Younis, which is packed with displaced civilians. (PHOTO / AFP)
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken exchanged views on the Palestine-Israel conflict during a telephone conversation on Dec 6, and they agreed to maintain communication on the Middle East situation.
Wang, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said the most urgent task is to achieve an immediate cease-fire in Gaza.
At the crossroads between war and peace, major countries need to uphold fairness and justice, maintain objectivity and rationality, and spare no effort to de-escalate the tension and prevent a larger-scale humanitarian disaster, he said.
Wang emphasized that any solution to the current Gaza crisis must adhere to the two-state solution and reflect the will of the Palestinian people for the future of Palestine.
China maintains that the core of the solution lies in respecting Palestine’s right to statehood and self-determination while pursuing a “Palestinian-owned, Palestinian-led” approach, with Palestinians governing Palestine, he said, adding that China is willing to work with all parties to achieve this goal.
Blinken briefed Wang about his recent visits to the Middle East as well as US views on the development of the Palestinian situation, saying that Washington is in favor of implementing the two-state solution.
The telephone conversation came following the summit meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Joe Biden in San Francisco in mid-November. During that meeting, the two heads of state established what has been called the “San Francisco vision”, oriented toward the future and outlining a blueprint for the healthy, stable, and sustainable development of China-US relations.
During the phone talks, Wang urged Washington to work with Beijing to solidify the momentum of maintaining stability in bilateral relations and to promote the healthy, stable, and sustainable development of the countries’ ties.
He underlined that it is a crucial task for both sides to implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state during their summit meeting, and to turn the “San Francisco vision”, which is of landmark importance for both countries, into reality.
Wang also emphasized that the healthy, stable, and sustainable development of China-US relations is in the common interests of both countries and a shared responsibility they hold as major countries.
He reiterated Beijing’s firm position on the Taiwan question and urged the US not to interfere in China’s internal affairs or support any “Taiwan independence” forces.
Blinken expressed his gratitude to Wang for his visit to the US embassy in China on Dec 5 to mourn the passing of former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger, who died on Nov 29 at the age of 100.
Wang said that Kissinger consistently advocated mutual respect and shared development between China and the US, and that he had also emphasized on many occasions that Washington needs to fully understand the importance of the Taiwan question to China.
Kissinger’s diplomatic legacy is worth inheriting and developing by future generations, Wang added.
