The president of China, Xi Jinping, has called for the establishment of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. Speaking in Egypt during his tour of the Middle East, he said that the Palestinian problem “should not be marginalized.”
“China supports the peaceful process in the Middle East [and] the establishment of a Palestinian state with its capital being eastern Jerusalem,” he told the Arab League in Cairo.
“Maintaining the legitimate interests of the Palestinian people is the responsibility of the Arab League as well as the international community,” he said.
He also announced $7.6 million in aid to help towards a solar power station project in Palestine, as well as $35 million in humanitarian aid to Syria, Jordan, Yemen, Lebanon and Libya.
Xi also spoke about the ongoing conflict in Syria, saying that it “could not continue as there is no winner in this conflict and it is only the Syrian people who are suffering.”
"The immediate priority to end this conflict is a ceasefire and to engage in a political dialogue and, at the same time, there must be an urgent need for humanitarian aid operations in Syria," he said.
It is believed his tour of the Middle East is part of an effort by China to gain a stronger foothold in the region.
Last week, China and Saudi Arabia agreed on a memorandum of understanding to build a nuclear reactor in the kingdom.
