By Yu Guoqing
At the invitation and under the auspices of China, reconciliation talks of Palestinian factions were held in Beijing from July 20 to 23. This followed a meeting between Fatah and Hamas in Beijing on April 30 earlier this year, marking another round of talks involving more Palestinian factions. At the closing ceremony of the reconciliation talks, representatives from the Palestinian factions signed the Beijing Declaration on Ending Division and Strengthening Palestinian National Unity (hereinafter referred to as the Beijing Declaration).
The Beijing Declaration is a symbol of hope for justice and peace for the Palestinian people. As Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi stated in his speech at the closing ceremony, the most important consensus from the Beijing talks is to achieve reconciliation and unity among the 14 factions; the core outcome is the affirmation of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as the sole legitimate representative of all Palestinian people; the biggest highlight is the agreement on establishing an interim government of national reconciliation focusing on the post-conflict reconstruction of Gaza; and the strongest call is for truly establishing an independent State of Palestine in accordance with relevant UN resolutions.
The Beijing Declaration directly addresses the urgent dilemma of the Gaza conflict, proposing a three-step Chinese initiative. The first step is to achieve a comprehensive, lasting, and sustainable ceasefire in the Gaza Strip as soon as possible, and ensure access to humanitarian aid and rescue on the ground. The second step is to make joint efforts toward post-conflict governance of Gaza under the principle of "Palestinians governing Palestine". The third step is to help Palestine become a full member state of the UN and get down to implementing the two-State solution. This three-step initiative provides a "roadmap" for resolving the Gaza crisis.
The Beijing talks this time involved 14 Palestinian factions, including Fatah and Hamas. This grand gathering indicated a significant step toward reconciliation and unity among the Palestinian factions. It also shows a general recognition within Palestine of China's efforts to promote reconciliation and dialogue among the Palestinian factions.
As is well known, the internal divisions among Palestinian factions on issues such as establishing an independent state have been a major reason for the prolonged Palestinian question. China has consistently supported the Palestinian factions in prioritizing the overall situation and achieving reconciliation through dialogue and consultation. Since entering a new era, Chinese President Xi Jinping has put forward proposals and propositions on addressing the Palestinian question, contributing Chinese wisdom and solutions for addressing the question. Now, 14 Palestinian factions are gathering in Beijing with the greater good of their nation in mind. This is a historic moment in the Palestinian liberation cause and an important step toward forming a unified stance and voice in the international community.
The Palestinian question is at the core of the Middle East issue. China was among the first countries to recognize the PLO and the State of Palestine. China all along firmly supports the Palestinian people in restoring their legitimate national rights. The reconciliation talks among Palestinian factions in Beijing have attracted widespread attention and positive comments from the international community. The signing of the Beijing Declaration has been widely praised by Arab countries, the European Union, the UN and other international organizations. Arab media have stated that this diplomatic move by China demonstrates its role as a responsible major country.
The internal divisions and disputes among Palestinians have caused irreparable losses to the cause of Palestinian statehood. The Beijing talks occurred amid escalating Israeli-Palestinian conflicts. The Beijing Declaration, signed by the factions with the national interest in mind, not only raises Palestine's status and political influence in the international community but also is an essential step for Palestine's future membership in the UN and independent statehood. We sincerely hope that the signing of the Beijing Declaration marks the first step toward ending internal divisions and achieving reconciliation and unity in Palestine.
(The author is a researcher at the Institute of West-Asian and African Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.)
Editor's note: Originally published on china.com.cn, this article is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information and opinions in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn.
