Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi expressed his opposition to US President Donald Trump’s plan to “take over” Gaza and relocate Palestinians living in the region to neighboring countries. Wang made a statement declaring, “Gaza belongs to Palestinians.” He further called on Palestinian factions to set aside their differences and unite.

Wang Yi held a press conference in Beijing during the annual session of the National People’s Congress of China, addressing the theme of “China’s Foreign Policy and External Relations.” During the meeting, Wang stated, “Gaza belongs to Palestinians, it is an integral part of Palestinian territories. Forcibly changing Gaza’s status will not bring peace but only chaos.”

“PALESTINE TO BE ADMINISTERED BY PALESTINIANS” Wang expressed China’s support for the plan led by Egypt and other Arab countries for peace in Gaza, criticizing the US without naming it, saying, “If a great country truly cares about the people of Gaza, it must promote comprehensive and lasting peace, increase humanitarian aid, and contribute to the reconstruction of Gaza by adhering to the principle of ‘Palestine to be administered by Palestinians’.” Emphasizing that peace in the Middle East cannot be achieved without peace, Wang continued by stating: “The Palestinian issue has always been at the center of the Middle East issue. The Israel-Palestine conflict persists because only half of the two-state solution has been realized. Israel has long maintained its existence, but the Palestinian State is still unattainable. The international community should focus more on the two-state solution in the next phase and provide more support for an independent Palestinian State. Only then can Palestine and Israel truly coexist in peace, and Arab and Jewish peoples can continuously live together in friendship.”

CALL FOR UNITY AMONG PALESTINIANS Wang urged Palestinian factions to unite in accordance with the will expressed in the Beijing Declaration, calling on all parties in the Middle East to put aside their differences to support the Palestinian State and build a consensus to promote peace between Israel and Palestine. Wang stressed that China is a strategic partner of Middle Eastern countries and a sincere friend of Arab peoples, pledging to strive for peace, justice, and development in the region, supporting the nations to take their destinies into their own hands, pursue their own paths of development, and realize their dreams of peace and rejuvenation.

TRUMP’S SCANDALOUS GAZA PLAN Trump had stated during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on February 4 at the White House that the US would “take over” the Gaza Strip and “own it.” Describing Gaza as a complete ruin, Trump argued that it would be much better for Gazans to move to newly established settlements in neighboring countries such as Egypt and Jordan. Trump had also claimed that Palestinians had no other choice but to leave Gaza. He had expressed his desire to turn Gaza into the “Riviera of the Middle East.” Trump’s proposal had affected the implementation of the existing ceasefire in Gaza; Israel had abandoned negotiations for a second ceasefire aimed at ending the occupation and had halted humanitarian aid to Gaza.