China has appealed to the international community to take joint action to stop the spread of conflicts between Israel and Palestine so as to soothe the tense regional situation.

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Zhu Bangzao made the comments at a regular press conference Tuesday afternoon in response to a relevant question.

He said that China is seriously concerned about the escalation of the violent conflicts between Israel and Palestine and the ever growing tense situation in the Middle East region.

Zhu added that China opposes terrorist and violent activities in any form and condemns Israel for its abusive use of force, which has resulted in major Palestinian casualties and material losses.

The conflicts have gravely threatened peace and stability in the region and brought about negative impact on the relations between nations in the region, Zhu said.

China calls on Israel and Palestine to cherish the hard-won achievements of previous peace talks and resume the talks as soon as possible, Zhu said.

(People's Daily 05/22/2001)