On June 7, Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan made a phone call to President of the State of Palestine and Chairman of Palestinian National Authority Yasser Arafat. Earlier, at the request of the Israeli side, Foreign Minister Tang also had a telephone conversation with Israeli Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Peres.

During the two phone conversations, Tang Jiaxuan made a comprehensive elaboration of China’s view on the current situation in the Middle East. He said that the conflicts over eight months between Israel and Palestine has caused serious casualties and loss of property and led to the turbulent situation in the Middle East. We have noted that both sides of Israel and Palestine recently have declared cease-fire, but the situation is still tense. Facts have shown that while the use of force and confrontation can only deepen each other’s hatred and antagonism, dialogue and negotiation are the only correct way to solve the conflicts.  The pressing task at this stage for both sides is to exercise restraint and calm, coordinate positively with the mediation efforts of the international community and take practical actions that are conducive to easing up the tensions, so as to create conditions for resuming peace talks at an early date.

Tang Jiaxuan stressed that China, seeking no self interest on the Middle East issue, always upholds justice and decides its own position on the merits of a case. China firmly supports the peace process of the Middle East and doesn’t want to see all the achievements made in the ten-year Middle East peace talks to be wasted. China holds that the relevant U.N. resolutions and the principle of “Land for Peace” should be the basis of the Middle East peace talks and the practical implementation of the achieved agreements and understandings by the sides concerned be the premise to establish mutual trust. China is opposed to Israel attacking Palestine by use of force and economic blockade, opposed to any terrorist act targeted at civilians and supports all the mediation efforts of the international community that are conducive to easing up the regional situation. China has already made and will continue to make its own efforts with the international community.

Tang Jiaxuan conveyed President Jiang Zemin’s cordial greetings and good wishes to President Arafat and reiterated China’s consistent position of supporting the just cause of the Palestinian people.

Arafat and Peres respectively briefed on the present situation in the Middle East and their own positions, appreciated the efforts made by China to quiet down the conflicts between Israel and Palestine and hoped China to play a bigger role in easing up the tension in the region and resuming Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.