Palestinians have a strategic interest in the growing role and power of China
as a friendly state. The increase in China's economic and political influence at
the international level is essential for maintaining global peace and
development in accordance with the China-proposed Global Civilization
Initiative, which is aimed at building a new, fair and just multipolar world
order as an alternative to the existing unipolar and unfair international
order. The Global Civilization Initiative draws on China's long history and the
prime position it once held as a civilization. Proposing the Global Civilization Initiative earlier this year, President Xi
Jinping said it will inject fresh and strong energy into common development and
progress in a world fraught with multiple challenges and crises. Elaborating on
the initiative at the Communist Party of China in Dialogue with World Political
Parties High-Level Meeting in March, Xi Jinping, who is also general secretary
of the CPC Central Committee, called for respecting the diversity of
civilizations, advocating the common values of humanity, valuing the inheritance
and innovation of civilizations, and strengthening people-to-people exchanges
and cooperation. We Palestinians welcome the Global Civilization Initiative, as it is based on
mutual respect, mutual benefit, equality and development of all countries. Fair
and just resolution of global and regional issues has been hindered under the
United States-led world order. The Global Civilization Initiative, on the other
hand, is a visionary initiative that aligns with Palestinian aspirations and
could help the Palestinian president to convene an international peace
conference. The initiative creates an ideal opportunity in the year that marks the 35th
anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Palestine and
China to work toward achieving tangible results, in order to realize better
benefits for the peoples of both countries and expand cooperation in various
fields. Sino-Palestinian constructive cooperation has been progressing well,
giving us enough reasons to be optimistic about the possibility of further
deepening pragmatic cooperation. Besides, the Belt and Road Initiative is not merely a modern version of the
ancient Silk Road; it is also a vehicle to boost China's soft power and
crystallize the contours of China's growing role in the international system
which is undergoing structural changes. It is based on trade and economy, common
interests, and market openness, not on any ideology, as is the case with the
US-led world order. In fact, for the US and some other Western countries, even
their foreign policies are shaped based on their ideology. Sino-Palestinian diplomatic relations are based on the acknowledgement of the
"one China" principle, which is also the fundamental political basis for the
development of bilateral relations between China and other countries. China
treats all countries as equals, emphasizes the importance of consultation and
dialogue to resolve bilateral and regional issues, and promotes common
development without attaching any political conditions. Given these facts, we Palestinians support and are ready to participate in
the Global Civilization Initiative, the Global Development Initiative and the
Global Security Initiative. During Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's four-day visit to China starting
on June 14, the two sides jointly announced the establishment of a strategic
partnership. President Xi said China and Palestine are good friends and partners
that trust and support each other. Given the fast-changing international situation and new changes in the
situation in the Middle East, China has said it is willing to strengthen
coordination and cooperation with Palestine to promote a comprehensive, fair and
lasting solution to the Palestine issue. In fact, China has always supported the
just cause of the Palestinian people to restore their legitimate national
rights. The two sides should therefore deepen cooperation and promote genuine
pluralism to better protect the common interests of developing countries and
help build a fair and just world order. It is necessary to mention here that
China is taking measures to expand coordination and cooperation with Palestine
to push for an early, just and sustainable resolution to the Palestinian
issue. Further, the strategic partnership between the two sides is an important
milestone in bilateral relations, which will pave the way for China to
consolidate friendly cooperation with Palestine in various fields. We expect China to continue supporting the just Palestinian cause, and hope
that China will spare no efforts in helping seek serious negotiations in an
attempt to resolve the Palestinian issue. And as Palestinians, we must seize
this historic moment to strengthen relations with China as a strategic partner
and true friend. Palestine also needs to increase practical engagement in the
Belt and Road Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative while playing an
important role in shaping humanity's shared destiny. China has begun its journey to build a modern socialist country, which would
achieve the goals of developing Arab-Chinese projects and launching strategic
partnerships between China and Arab countries, representing a successful model
of solidarity, cooperation and mutual benefit. We Palestinians should strive to achieve shared development, promote justice
and fairness, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, and integrate the Belt and
Road Initiative with the development projects of Arab states, implement the
consensuses reached at the Arab-China Summit for Cooperation and Development in
Riyadh in December last year, promote the values of solidarity, tolerance and
mutual respect, and vigorously move toward the goal of building an Arab-Chinese
community with a shared future.
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