China Monday condemned all violent activities that worsened the tensions between Palestinians and Israelis, calling on the two sides to exercise restraint.
The condemnation came as Wang Yingfan, the Chinese permanent representative to the United Nations, was speaking at an open U.N. Security Council meeting, which began on Monday morning.
"The Chinese delegation condemns all violent activities that lead to the escalation of the conflict and civilian casualty," Wang said. "We appeal strongly to the two sides to exercise restraint and stop all forms of violence."
"We call on the Israeli Government to return the Orient House and other occupied Palestinian buildings to the Palestinian side immediately," he said.
"The two sides should, with the help from the international community, implement as soon as possible relevant recommendations of the Mitchell Report and create favorable conditions for the resumption of peace talks," he said.
Recently, there has been an escalation of the Israeli- Palestinian conflict, he said, adding that recent suicide explosions inside Israel have resulted in heavy civilian casualties.
"The Israeli side, however, has resorted, time and again, to an excessive use of arms, closed the Orient House by force," which homes the office of the Palestine Liberation Organization in East Jerusalem and, "for a time, even sent troops to occupy the self- governed Palestinian City of Jenin on the West Bank, leading to the further exacerbation of the situation," he said.
"These latest developments have caused deep worries in the international community," he said. "We support the Security Council to convene this public meeting."
"The United Nations should make active efforts to end the bloodshed of the conflict between Israel and Palestine and ease the tensions in the region as soon as possible," he said.
In recent years, the Security Council has held discussions and adopted resolutions or presidential statements on issues such as the prevention of armed conflict and the protection of civilians in armed conflict, he said.
"Now the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is escalating, the international community have placed high expectations on the United Nations, it is our hope that council members will be able to make an active, practical and constructive effort, in the spirit of resolutions and presidential statements already adopted, to hold serious consultations on the grave situation of the Israeli-Palestinian violent conflict as well as necessary measures that should be immediately taken," he said.
"The council members should put aside differences, and work to achieve a consensus as soon as possible so as to send a strong message to both sides of the conflict and the entire international community that violence must be stopped and tensions eased," he said.
The Security Council has already held many discussions on the issue of sending international observers to the region, Wang said, adding that the idea has gained more and more attention and support from the international community.
"We hope that the Israeli side will respond positively to the appeal and advice from the international community and take this appeal and advice from the international community and take this recommendation into earnest consideration," he said.
"Faced with the serious situation where the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is getting worse and worse, we believe that efforts from a third party, especially from those with influence on both sides of the conflict, are indispensable to make the two sides cool down, stop violence and come back to the negotiation table," he said.
"This is clear to every outsider," he said. "We also believe that, as a U.N. body that shoulders the prime responsibility for maintaining international peace and security, it is only right and natural for the Security Council to pay close attention to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict," he added.
(Xinhua News Agency 08/21/2001)
