Sputnik - China on Monday signaled a willingness to broker peace between Israel and Palestine, according to local sources.





Citing comments by�Chinese special envoy to�the Middle East Gong Xiaosheng, the official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported on�Tuesday that Beijing now seeks to�enter the historically fraught relations between�Palestine and Israel.

While meeting with�Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in�Ramallah on�Monday, Gong reiterated Beijing's support for�a Palestinian state while learning about�Abbas's April visit to�Washington, a Russian trip in�early May and the Palestinian leader's meeting with�US President Donald Trump in�Bethlehem last week, the Jerusalem Post reported.

Following Trump's first trip outside�the US as�president, the White House has signaled that it also seeks to�broker a peace deal between�the historically opposed states.

China, according to�Wafa, seeks to�widen its role in�the region, and is particularly interested in�striking a peace deal between�Israel and Palestine, as�well as�seeing an end to�the ongoing Syrian civil war and its attendant refugee crisis.

Parallel to�diplomatic matters, the China envoy also indicated Beijing's eagerness to�enhance economic ties with�Ramallah. According to�Wafa, Abbas thanked Gong and noted his country's "special" relations with�the world's most populated country.
China, with�a consistent but�occasionally fractious relationship with�Israel, has traditionally maintained positive economic and cultural relations with�neighboring Iran and has long recognized the sovereignty of�the Palestinian state.


In a move widely seen as�an attempt at�mending fences, right-wing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited China for�three days in�March and took pains to�note the 25 years of�bilateral relations between�the two countries.

Prior to�Netanyahu's Beijing junket, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi stated, "The issue of�Palestine is an open wound in�the Middle East. Peace may be delayed, but�justice cannot be denied."

"China firmly supports the two-state solution," Wang added, "and will continue to�do what we can to�help restart the peace talks."