China calls for halt of military activities in Gaza -- china.org.cn

Abbas highly praised the five standpoints on the current Middle East situation issued by China, thanked for China's emergency humanitarian aid, and expressed his willingness to keep exerting efforts to restore stability as soon as possible.

Visiting Chinese special envoy for the Middle East Sun Bigan Sun called on an immediate halt of military activities in Gaza during his meeting with Palestinian National Authority (PNA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank city of Ramallah Thursday.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit (R) meets with China's special envoy on the Middle East issue Sun Bigan in Cairo Jan. 12, 2009. The two sides exchanged opinions on the Gaza crisis and vowed to work together to help ease the tension in the Palestinian enclave.[Zhang Ning/Xinhua]

Before his visit to Ramallah, Sun also toured Egypt and Israel, where he put forward five standpoints of the Chinese government on the current Middle East situation to Egyptian and Israeli officials.

The five standpoints are:

1. China calls on all parties concerned to abide by the UN Security Council Resolution 1860, and cease all military actions immediately to avert more casualties.

2. Measures should be taken to ease the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. A stable channel for supply of humanitarian aid including food, medicine and fuel, for Gaza should be open at the earliest time possible, and parties concerned should provide necessary guarantee in this regard.

3. Parties concerned should establish, through negotiation, a ceasefire monitoring mechanism in Gaza and work to create durable security and stability there.

4. The Palestine-Israel peace talks should resume at the earliest time, and efforts should be made to seek solution to issues related to the final status of Palestine on the basis of mutual-trust, so that an independent Palestinian state will be established as early as possible and the "two states" of Palestine and Israel will coexist peacefully.

5. The international community should increase mediating efforts for peace and promote a comprehensive, just and durable settlement of the Middle East issue. China is ready to work with parties concerned and make unremitting efforts in this regard.

Amr Moussa (R), secretary-general of the Arab League, meets with China's special envoy on the Middle East issue Sun Bigan at the headquarters of the Arab League in Cairo, capital of Egypt, on Jan. 12, 2009. [Zhang Ning/Xinhua]

(Xinhua News Agency January 16, 2009)

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