Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Monday
highly praised China's just and constructive role in the Middle East during a meeting in Ramallah with
visiting China's special envoy on the Middle East issue Sun
Bigan.
Palestinian National
Authority President Mahmoud Abbas (R) meets with China's special
envoy for Middle East issues Sun Bigan in the West Bank city of
Ramallah, Dec. 24, 2007. Sun arrived on Monday in Ramallah for a
one-day visit.
Abbas appraised the positive development of ties between the
Palestinian territories and China, expressing gratitude for China's
help to the Palestinian people.
Abbas said that Palestinians will dedicate to solving final
status issues through political negotiations with Israel and
achieving the goal of setting up an independent Palestinian state,
adding that his people welcome China and the international
community's active role in promoting the Palestinian goal.
For his part, Sun said that China welcomes the
Palestinian-Israeli joint statement reached at the US-hosted
Annapolis peace conference on Nov. 27, and supports the two sides
holding consecutive negotiations on final status issues.
Sun expressed China's hope for early material results from the
Palestinian-Israeli negotiations in order to set up an independent
Palestinian state and achieve the peaceful co-existence of two
states.
Sun stressed that China will continue playing a constructive
role in promoting the Palestinian-Israeli negotiations through
keeping consultations and mediations with all sides concerned.
Sun said that China welcomes and supports the Palestinian
government's three-year development plan to revive the economy,
reiterating that China has decided to donate US$11 million in free
aid and will continue its effort in helping develop the Palestinian
economy and improve the Palestinians' living standard.
Sun, who arrived in Ramallah Monday for a one-day visit, met
earlier with Ahmed Qureia, head of the Palestinian negotiating team
in talks with Israel.
Before the meetings, Sun laid a wreath on the grave of the late
Palestinian President Yasser Arafat in the Palestinian president's
headquarters here.
(Xinhua News Agency December 25, 2007)
