China inks 'strategic partnership' with Palestinian Authority
Although Beijing's experience in the Palestinian region is limited to construction, manufacturing and other economic projects, China has continued to maintain diplomatic ties with the Palestinian Authority. It has also appointed a special envoy to meet with Israeli and Palestinian officials
Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Maliki, front left, attends a signing ceremony with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang, front right, as Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, rear left, and China's President Xi Jinping applaud at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing Wednesday, June 14. AP
China on Wednesday announced that it had inked a “strategic partnership” with the Palestinian Authority. The deal comes as Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas visits Beijing.
The partnership hints at another significant step for China as it tries to increase its economic and political influence in the Middle East in apparent competition with the US.
China is seeking energy resources and markets for its military and civilian exports while also promoting its version of authoritarian government as part of a joint challenge with Russia to the Western-led democratic world order.
Related Articles
Although Beijing’s experience in the Palestinian region is limited to construction, manufacturing and other economic projects, China has continued to maintain diplomatic ties with the Palestinian Authority. It has also appointed a special envoy to meet with Israeli and Palestinian officials.
“We are good friends and partners,” Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is head of the ruling Communist Party, told Abbas at the start of their meeting. “We have always firmly supported the just cause of the Palestinian people to restore their legitimate national rights.”
“China is willing to strengthen coordination and cooperation with the Palestinian side to promote a comprehensive, just and lasting solution to the Palestinian issue as soon as possible,” he said.
Abbas was welcomed in China with full military honours at the Great Hall of the People in China’s capital.
Xi said that the strategic partnership between China and Palestine is “an important milestone in the history of bilateral relations,” but its financial details were not immediately disclosed.
Meanwhile, Abbas said that his administration is “looking forward to strengthening cooperation with China within the framework of its initiative” and securing investments.
“We especially appreciate the Chinese side’s commitment to financing a number of development projects presented by Palestine. We wish the speedy dispatch of technical delegations to implement these projects,” he said.
With inputs from agencies
Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,
India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
also read
Howls of protest by China as US, Canadian navies sail through Taiwan Strait
The guided-missile destroyer USS Chung-Hoon and Canada's HMCS Montreal crossed the strait on Saturday during a "routine" passage "through waters where high-seas freedoms of navigation and overflight apply in accordance with international law," according to the US Navy's 7th Fleet
Germany asks China not to poach ex-air force pilots in fear of them spilling NATO secrets
Berlin fears that secrets concerning interventions and tactics used by the transatlantic military alliance could be revealed to the Chinese
Explained: Why is China drilling its deepest-ever hole into Earth’s crust?
China has started drilling over a 10,000-metre (10 km) hole into the Earth’s crust for exploring the unknown territory of the planet. Heavy equipment, weighing 2,000-tonne, will dig the country’s possibly deepest-ever borehole in the Tarim Basin in the Xinjiang region