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Steps to advance the Middle East peace process and to promote the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East Report submitted by the People's Republic of China

(May 2007,Vienna)

2007-05-11 00:00

China has always followed closely on the development of the situation in the Middle East, attached importance to advancing the Middle East peace process, and actively supported the efforts for the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East. In accordance with previsions of the Final Document of the 2000 NPT Review Conference, the China now reports on the steps taken to advance the Middle East peace process and to promote the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East.

1. China supports and is committed to bilateral and multilateral efforts to advancing Middle East peace process.

As a permanent member of the Security Council, China always follows closely the development in the Middle East situation and works vigorously to facilitate and promote the peace process. Through bilateral and multilateral channels and in many different ways, China advocates peace talks, urging Israel and Palestine to resolve their territorial disputes through political negotiations. By so doing, China has played a unique role in facilitating the Middle East peace process.

(1) Working on Arab countries and Israel through bilateral

Since the last two years, the Chinese government has kept close relations with countries in the Middle East, urged Palestine and Israel to establish mutual trust and to reopen peace negotiation.

As the situation in the Middle East developed, President Hu Jintao, Premier Wen Jiabao and other leaders of China responded to the concerns of Middle East countries and expressed China's stand on the Middle East question through addressing letters to each others. China has also kept on high level visits with countries concerned. In April 2006, State Councilor Hua Jianmin visited Egypt. In June 2006, Premier Wen Jiabao paid an official visit to Egypt. In May 2005, the Chairman of the Palestine National Authority Mahmoud Abbas paid a state visit to China. In December 2005, the King of Jordan Abdullah II bin Al Hussein made an official visit to China. In July 2006, the chairman of the committee of foreign affairs and national defense of Israel met the Chinese Foreign Minister in Beijing. In November 2006, the President of Egypt Mohammed Hosni Mubarak paid a state visit to China. In January 2007, the Prime Minister of Israel Ehud Olmert visited China.

Different levels of government exchanges were also frequently held between China and countries concerned. In June 2005, Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing visited Jordan, Israel, Palestine, Syria and Lebanon, and provided 1 million dollars remittance and construction materials worth RMB 10 million to Palestine. In July 2005, member of the central committee of the Syrian National Progress Front and secretary-general of the Arab Socialist Movement made a visit to China. In August 2005, Minister of the International Liaison Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China Wang Jiarui visited Israel and Palestine. In September 2005, the chief of the external relations Department of the Fatah Movement visited China. In March 2006, Minister Wang Jiarui visited Lebanon. In May 2006, the foreign minister of Syria paid an official visit to China. In December 2006, the Vice-Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference led a delegation visit Syria. Also in December 2006, Assistant Foreign Minister Zhai Jun, visited Israel, Palestine and Syria.

In addition, Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing has made many telephone calls to the leaders or foreign ministers of the countries in the Middle East to exchange view on the Middle East issue. The Chinese Foreign Ministry also held political consultations with Syria and Israel respectively, emphasizing that steadily advancing the Middle East peace process through peaceful negotiations was the most fundamental and effective way to solve the Middle East issue.

(2) Promoting peace talks through multilateral means

In June 2005, the 2nd Session of Senior Official Meeting of the Sino-Arab Cooperation Forum was held in Beijing. In May 2006, the 2nd Session of Ministerial Meeting and the 3rd Senior Official Meeting took place in Beijing. In these meetings, China worked on parties concerned to promote the Middle East peace process.

In 2005 and 2006, during the 60th and 61st UN Assembly, Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing met the representatives from Israel, Syria, Lebanon and Egypt, and he also attended the Ministerial Meeting of the Security Council on the issue of Middle East.

In May 2007, Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi attended the International Compact with Iraq (ICI) conference held in Egypt, and raised four points of suggestions on implementing the compact. During the conference he also exchanged views with many other prominent delegates.

Furthermore, China also worked on countries concerned to promote the Middle East peace process during the Sino-Africa Summit held in Beijing in 2006.

(3) Participating in international efforts to promote Middle East peace process through the Mediation by China's Special Envoy

In June 2006, Chinese Special Envoy Sun Bigan visited Egypt, Jordan, Israel and Palestine, exchanged views on the regional situation in the Middle East. In August, the Special Envoy visited Syria, Jordan, Israel, Palestine, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, focused on meditating the Israel-Lebanon Conflict.

In August 2006, the Special Envoy participated in the Ministerial Meeting on Humanitarian Aid and Reconstruction to Lebanon and the Meeting of Humanitarian Aid to the Occupied Palestinian Territory in Stockholm, announcing that China would provided RMB 20 million humanitarian assistance to Lebanese Government. In January 2007, the Special Envoy attended the International Conference on Aiding Lebanon, and again offered RMB 50 million non-reimbursable assistance to Lebanon. In April 2007, the Special Envoy visited Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Israel and the European Union, discussing the situation between Palestine, Israel and in the Middle East.

(4) Expounding Chinese position on the Middle East issue and advocating resolving the question in a peaceful manner

The Chinese Foreign Ministry followed closely on the development of the Middle East situation and expounded China's view and stand on the Middle East situation by the press release of the spokesperson of the Ministry.

In October 2005, Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing accepted the written interviews by Egyptian newspaper "Pyramids" and magazine "October".

(5) Providing platforms for the Palestine and Israel peace advocators

In December 2006, the Chinese Foreign Ministry held the Israel-Palestine Seminar on Peace Process in the Middle East. Peace advocators from Israel and Palestine discussed how to ease the tense Middle East situation as well as how to advance the Middle East peace process, and issued a joint statement after the seminar.

2. China supports efforts towards establishing the Middle East nuclear-weapon-free zone.

China has been unconditionally committed to no use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon countries or nuclear-weapon-free zones, and has always supported the efforts of countries in various regions to establish nuclear-weapon-free zones on a voluntary basis of consultation. In its statement upon accession to NPT in 1992, China made a solemn appeal that "nuclear-weapon states undertake to support propositions of establishing nuclear-weapon-free zones, respect the status of such zones and undertake corresponding obligations."

China holds that the establishment of nuclear-weapon-free zones is conducive to preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons and strengthening the international non-proliferation regime. Proliferation of nuclear weapons would be more dangerous in regions with tension. For this reason, China has unequivocally supported the Middle East countries in their efforts to establish the Middle East Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone from the very start, believing that it would contribute to easing tension in the region and facilitating the settlement of the Middle East question. Under current situation, it is of outstanding significance to establish the Middle East Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone.

China has been supporting the efforts in establishing the Middle East Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone within the framework of the United Nations. Every year since 1974, the UN General Assembly has adopted the Egypt-sponsored resolution on the establishment of the Middle East Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone. Egyptian President Mubarak has also put forth an initiative to establish a Middle East WMD-Free Zone and appealed to all countries in the Middle East to make vigorous efforts and conduct serious negotiations to this end. China has consistently supported those resolutions and the initiative. China also supports the resolution on the Middle East issue adopted by the 1995 NPT Review Conference.

China has actively promoted the establishment of the Middle East Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone at the bilateral level. In high-level meetings with leaders of Middle East countries, China has expressed its appreciation of their efforts towards establishing the Middle East Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone, and maintained its clear-cut position on supporting the establishment of such a zone.

In December 2003, Libya decided to abandon its WMD programs, which included nuclear weapons programme. China welcomes this decision, believing that it would contribute to upholding the international non-proliferation regime as well as promoting peace and stability in the region.

China believes that Israel should accede to NPT and place all of its nuclear facilities under the IAEA comprehensive safeguards. Countries in the Middle East should ratify the IAEA safeguards agreement and the Additional Protocol as soon as possible. All these would be of great significance to achieving the goal of promoting the universality of NPT and reinforcing the international nonproliferation regime.

China all along maintains that the Iranian nuclear issue should be solved in a peaceful manner through diplomatic negotiations. To this end, China calls on parties concerned to enhance diplomatic efforts on the resuming of negotiations as soon as possible and, through negotiations, to find a long-term, comprehensive and proper solution to the Iranian nuclear issue. China vigorously takes part in the international diplomatic efforts on promoting the resumption of the negotiation. China will continue playing a constructive role in properly resolving the Iranian nuclear issue.

China is ready to work with the international community to make continued efforts for and contribution to the achievement of comprehensive and lasting peace in the Middle East and the establishment of the Middle East Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone at an early date.

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