China's Xi Jinping backs ‘just cause’ of Palestinian statehood

• "Solution lies in an independent Palestinian State," says President Xi.
• China is ready to strengthen cooperation with the Palestinian side.
• "China supports Palestine in becoming a full member state of UN."

After asserting his diplomatic footprints in the highly volatile region of the Middle East, President Xi Jinping while meeting Palestinian leader Mehmud Abbas said Wednesday that China supports the Palestinian call for becoming a full United Nations member state, state media CCTV reported.

Both leaders met each other in Beijing where Xi also said that "the fundamental way out of the Palestinian issue lies in the establishment of an independent Palestinian State."

The Chinese position on the Palestinian issue was also put forth during an Arab leaders' huddle in December in Saudi Arabia as Beijing has become active diplomatically to resolve outstanding regional issues.

A major breakthrough was sought after mediating a rapprochement between long-standing regional heavyweights Saudi Arabia and Iran back in March, with the US no more seen playing an assertive role in Middle Eastern diplomacy.

President Xi also met Abbas during the December trip and pledged to "work for an early, just and durable solution to the Palestinian issue".

"China supports Palestine in becoming a full member State of the United Nations," Xi said, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.

According to Al Jazeera, President Xi told Abbas at the start of their meeting that “We are good friends and partners," adding, "We have always firmly supported the just cause of the Palestinian people to restore their legitimate national rights.”

The Palestinian leader be in Beijing until Friday on his fifth official visit to the world’s second-largest economy.

The Chinese president also told Abbas at a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People that China was "ready to strengthen coordination and cooperation with the Palestinian side".

"Today, we will jointly announce the establishment of a China-Palestine strategic partnership, which will be an important milestone in the history of bilateral relations," Xi said.

Aims to go further

Abbas arrived in China Monday to hold talks with top Chinese officials including Xi and Premier Li Qiang, with aims to take the bilateral ties further and resolve longstanding challenges to the Palestinian-Israel relationship.

As Beijing started to seek extensive support from the Middle Eastern countries, the US is regarding it as a challenge to its supremacy.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin called long-time Palestinian leader Abbas an "old and good friend of the Chinese people" during a regular media briefing last week.

Finding a lasting solution to Israeli-Palestinian tensions may prove elusive, as peace negotiations between the two sides have been stalled since 2014.

Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang told his Israeli and Palestinian counterparts in April that his country was willing to aid peace negotiations, according to Xinhua.

And Qin told Palestinian foreign minister Riyad Al-Maliki that Beijing supports the resumption of talks as soon as possible, according to the state news agency.

In both calls, Qin emphasised China’s push for peace talks on the basis of implementing a "two-state solution".