Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Sunday reiterated Beijing's support for an independent Palestinian state as a way out of the conflict in Israel and Gaza. In a phone call with his Iranian counterpart, Wang presented China as a peace broker, saying Beijing would "stand on the side of peace and justice and to support the Palestinian people in their just cause of safeguarding their national rights." "The fundamental reason for the situation in Palestine and Israel to have developed to the present stage is that the Palestinian people's right to statehood has long been put on hold", Wang told Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, according to a readout from China's Foreign Ministry. "This historical injustice should be brought to an end as soon as possible," he said. In a separate call with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Wang called for a ceasefire, the opening of humanitarian aid routes to Gaza and the resumption of dialogue between Israel and Palestinian authorities. Without mentioning Israel, he said, "the right to self-defence should be exercised in compliance with international humanitarian law and not at the expense of innocent civilian casualties," according to a Chinese Foreign Ministry readout. Some context: China has long supported a "two-state solution" to establish an independent Palestinian state. Both Israel and the United States have expressed strong dissatisfaction to China for not strongly condemning Hamas' deadly and brutal attacks against Israelis on October 7, and for not showing support to Israel following the massacre. — CNN
