Joint Statement of China and Arab Countries on the Palestinian Issue (Full Text)
The official translation of the joint declaration hasn’t been made available yet, but a friend sent me this Chinese statement from MOFA and I did a quick and by no means professional translation. It is really what one would expect; China has doubled down on Palestine and seems to have no illusions about getting the relationship with Israel back to pre-October 7th levels. Not that they were in great shape then. I wrote here that I have been working on an essay about China in the Israel-Palestine conflict, but decided to hold off until after the CASCF wrapped since I knew it would be front and center of so much of the Forum. I’ll try to get something together for next weekend. For now, here’s the translation of the declaration; I imagine the official one will be out soon enough.
Joint Statement of China and Arab Countries on the Palestinian Issue (Full Text)
2024-05-31 13:09
On May 30, 2024, the 10th Ministerial Meeting of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum was held in Beijing, and the two sides had in-depth discussions on the Palestinian issue.
The two sides believe that relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council and the UN General Assembly, including Security Council Resolution 2728, must be fully and effectively implemented, and joint efforts should be made to promote an early ceasefire and cessation of war in the Gaza Strip and promote an early comprehensive, just and lasting solution to the Palestinian issue. The two sides reached consensus on the following:
1. The two sides condemned Israel's continued aggression against the Palestinian people. 125,000 Palestinian civilians have been killed and injured in the Gaza Strip, most of whom are women and children. The Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip have been forced to suffer deadly famine and blockade, cutting off all their livelihoods. Residential areas, hospitals, schools, mosques, churches and infrastructure in the Gaza Strip have been systematically destroyed, and thousands of Palestinian prisoners have been detained and abused.
2. The two sides condemned the invasion of the city of Rafah, the bombing of refugee camps and the control of the Rafah port.
3. Both sides oppose the implementation of plans, intentions and actions to forcibly transfer the Palestinian people outside their territory, which will destroy the peace opportunities in the Middle East and lead to the expansion and deterioration of regional conflicts.
4. Both sides demand that the Security Council issue a binding resolution to achieve an immediate, comprehensive and lasting ceasefire, stop the forced transfer of the Palestinian people, ensure the delivery of relief supplies to the entire Gaza Strip, implement relevant Security Council resolutions, and return life in the Gaza Strip to normal. Both sides condemn the United States for using its veto to prevent Palestine from becoming a full member of the United Nations.
5. Both sides support the provisional measures orders made by the International Court of Justice on January 26, March 28 and May 24, 2024 in the case of South Africa suing Israel for violating the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, and believe that Israel should abide by relevant legal provisions, especially international humanitarian law. Both sides emphasize that Israel, as the occupying power, is responsible for the dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza.
6. The Arab side stressed that the resolution adopted at the Arab-Islamic Joint Extraordinary Summit held in Riyadh on November 11, 2023 should be implemented, including breaking the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip, so that humanitarian aid materials provided by Arab, Islamic countries and the international community can immediately enter the entire Gaza Strip by sea, land and air. China expressed its understanding.
8. Both sides call for the convening of a larger, more authoritative and more effective international peace conference as soon as possible to launch an authoritative peace process based on recognized international principles. The above process should be carried out within a determined time frame and under international guarantees until Israel's occupation of East Jerusalem and other Palestinian territories occupied in 1967, the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, and the remaining occupied territories in Lebanon ends.
9. Both sides support the Palestinian government in fulfilling its duties in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and East Jerusalem in accordance with recognized international principles. The Gaza Strip is an integral part of the State of Palestine. Both sides emphasize their support for the Palestinian government's relief efforts in Gaza. Both sides reaffirm that the Palestine Liberation Organization is the only legitimate representative of the Palestinian people and call on all Palestinian factions to unite under the banner of the PLO and assume their respective responsibilities in a national partnership under the leadership of the PLO.
10. Both sides welcome the adoption of Resolution A/RES/ES-10/23 by the United Nations General Assembly on May 10, 2024. The resolution recognizes that the State of Palestine is eligible to become a full member of the United Nations, and requires the Security Council to review and support Palestine's accession to the United Nations and grant the State of Palestine more rights and interests.
11. Both sides called for support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) to prevent it from being shut down. They welcomed the resumption of funding by some countries to the agency and called on countries that had frozen funding to resume their support for the agency. They welcomed the results of the independent investigation into the agency's work, recognized its neutrality and professionalism, and believed that it was indispensable and irreplaceable.
12. Both sides welcomed the recent recognition of the State of Palestine by many countries, and stressed that this was a driving force for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people and international and regional peace, security and stability, and called on countries that had not yet recognized the State of Palestine to do so as soon as possible.
13. The Arab side appreciates China's long-standing position in supporting the Palestinian issue and the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people in bilateral and multilateral occasions, appreciates the propositions put forward by Chinese President Xi Jinping on resolving the Palestinian issue, and a series of initiatives and propositions put forward by China on the Palestinian issue; appreciates China's adherence to fairness and justice on the Palestinian issue and its unremitting efforts to promote the peace process; appreciates China's support for Palestine in improving people's livelihood and developing the economy, providing humanitarian assistance to Palestine, and its commitment to promoting the State of Palestine to become a full member of the United Nations.
14. Both sides stressed that Israel's unilateral measures aimed at changing the status quo in Jerusalem are invalid, support the Hashemite family's protection of the Islamic and Christian holy sites in occupied Jerusalem, support its role in protecting the Arab, Islamic and Christian attributes of Jerusalem, and maintaining the existing historical and legal status of Jerusalem and its holy sites. Both sides emphasized the adherence to the existing historical and legal status of the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
15. Both sides condemned the Israeli government's continued promotion of targeted settlement plans, which are aimed at changing the existing historical and legal status of the occupied Palestinian territories and the occupied Syrian Golan Heights.
16. Both sides support the efforts of His Majesty King Mohammed VI of Morocco as Chairman of the Jerusalem Committee. Both sides emphasize the important role played by the Chairman of the Jerusalem Committee and the efforts of the Jerusalem Wealth House, an institution under the Committee.
17. Both sides support Egypt in taking all measures to respond to the impact of the aggression in the Gaza Strip and rely on Egypt's efforts to deliver relief supplies to the Gaza Strip immediately, continuously and in sufficient quantities. Both sides express support for the measures taken by Egypt to safeguard its national security, which is also a fundamental component of Arab national security.
18. Both sides support the joint efforts of Egypt and Qatar to promote a lasting ceasefire and return life in the Gaza Strip to normal. Both sides support the role played by Egypt and Algeria in achieving reconciliation among Palestinian factions.
19. Both sides appreciate the role played by Algeria and the UAE in Palestinian issues during their tenure as non-permanent members of the Security Council, including their efforts to promote the adoption of relevant UN Security Council resolutions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and to promote the State of Palestine to become a full member of the United Nations.
20. Both sides appreciate the call by the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar for immediate action to help all Palestinian orphans who have lost their parents and families due to the aggression in Gaza.
21. The two sides appreciate Algeria's efforts to support the Palestinian issue at the political and material levels, and appreciate President Tebboune's active efforts, especially the convening of the internal reconciliation conference among Palestinian factions on October 13, 2022 and the adoption of the Algiers Declaration, which is a positive step on the road to achieving national unity in Palestine.