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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, May 23, 2003

China Urges Israel, Palestinians to Implement Roadmap

China urges Israel and the Palestinians to accept and implement as soon as
possible the roadmap peace plan, and stop the vicious circle of violence so
as to pave the way for the resumption of peace talks.

Speaking at a press conference held on Thursday, visiting Chinese special
envoy Wang Shijie told reporters that China welcomes and supports the
Mideast peace roadmap, and hopes Israel and the Palestinians can seize this
opportunity and cooperate with the international community in promoting
peace process.

The roadmap, which is formulated by the international mediation quartet,
including the United States, the European Union, Russia and the United
Nations, is designed to help the Palestinians to establish their country by
2005.

China calls for Israel to withdraw its forces from the Palestinian areas it
has re-captured since the outbreak of the conflict in September 2000, and
ease up the humanitarian crisis the Palestinian people are suffering,
according to the special envoy.

Meanwhile, Wang stressed that Israel's demand for its security should be
taken seriously, and that the Palestinian side is under an obligation to
take effective measures to stop extreme violence against the Israelis. The
special envoy hoped that the two sides would start solving their differences
first with easy problems and in a "give-and-take" manner. Wang said China
calls for the international community to set a just, authoritative and
effective mechanism to monitor the implementation of the roadmap plan. China
would propose a peace conference participated by the UN Security Council's
five permanent members and related parties, he said.

As for the future talks between Israel and Syria and Lebanon, Wang said the
talks should be based on related UN resolutions, the "Land for Peace"
principle, as well as agreements and common understanding reached by related
parties.

During his four-day tour to the region, which is concluded on Thursday, Wang
met with Israeli Foreign Minster Silvan Shalom and Palestinian National
Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat, Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas and Foreign
Minister Nabil Sha'ath. Early on Thursday, the special envoy also met with
former Israeli prime minister Shimon Peres at the latter's peace center in
Tel Aviv. Peres, one of architects of the Middle East peace process, is
expected to serve as the Labor party's temporary chairman.

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