Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi on Wednesday pledged strong support for an Israeli-Palestinian peace settlement based on a two-state solution.
China "will pursue its efforts to advance the Middle East peace process and strongly supports a settlement based on two states," he said after talks with Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas in the West Bank town of Ramallah.
"We wish the creation of an independent Palestinian state in the near future because this will consolidate security and stability in the region," he told reporters, adding that a two-state settlement was "the only solution possible."
Yang was to hold talks on Thursday in Israel, whose new government led by right-winger Benjamin Netanyahu opposes the creation of a Palestinian state.
Abbas, who Palestinian officials say is to meet US President Barack Obama on May 18, told the same press conference that the vision of a two-state solution would be at the centre of his talks in Washington.
"We have received position signals about this vision from President Obama, his Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and (US special) envoy George Mitchell," the Palestinian leader said.
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