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China Reiterates Support For Arafat August 25, 2001 Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has wrapped up his visit to China with a promise of unwavering support from the Chinese president. Jiang Zemin told Arafat that international observers should be sent to the disputed territories restore peace to the Middle East, official Chinese media reported Saturday. Israel opposes international observers in the disputed territories. An attempt by the Palestinians to get the UN Security Council to send international observers was abandoned Friday when the U.S. threatened to veto the action. "The Chinese people will always stand on the side of the Palestinians' just cause," Jiang told Arafat on Friday. The Xinhua News Agency described the meeting as "warm and friendly." China, a longtime supporter of the Palestinians, initiated the idea for Arafat's visit, according to a Chinese Communist Party newspaper. This is Arafat's 14th visit to China and the meeting appeared to reinforce the long-standing ties of friendship. Arafat praised China for its "relentless" work at the United Nations to help resolve the conflict between the Palestinians and Israel. Beijing has repeatedly called for restraint from Israel and urged the two sides to resume negotiations. Also on Friday, China and the Palestinians signed an agreement on economic and technological cooperation. Arafat first met with Li Peng, the chairman of China's National People's Congress. Li assured Arafat that the Chinese support for the Palestinians "is always consistent." "Three generations of Chinese leaders have stuck firmly to this policy," Li said, according to Xinhua. "We express our indignation on the recent use of Israeli military force in the Palestinian self-rule area," he added. "Resolving the conflict through communication is the sole and right approach." Apparently, Li considers Palestinian suicide bombers blowing up Israeli women and children to be "communication" rather than "conflict." China had previously recently condemned Israel's use of force and backed Palestinian appeal for international observers in the occupied territories. A Palestinian representative in the Chinese capital said the aim of Arafat's visit is to urge Beijing to play a more active role to help end 11 months of Israeli-Palestinian violence. Arafat arrived in China after stopovers in New Delhi and Islamabad, where he discussed the Israeli-Palestinian situation with senior Indian and Pakistani leaders. Arafat is now in Malaysia on the latest stop of his visit to Southeast Asia. Before leaving for a meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamed, Arafat told reporters in Kuala Lumpur Saturday that the Palestinian people are under siege from Israeli forces using, in his words, "American weapons." Meanwhile, in Israel, members of the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, expressed surprise this week at learning China had canceled a planned visit by a Knesset delegation to Beijing early next month. They were told that the Chinese would be "too busy," the Jerusalem Post reported on Friday. More than 150 Israelis have been killed in the past 11 months of Palestinian violence. Israel has said repeatedly that it holds Arafat and his security forces responsible for attacks on Israel because they have not reined in terrorists. A year ago, Israel offered the Palestinians a state in Gaza and most of the West Bank and a share of Jerusalem. But the Palestinians refused the offer by then-Prime Minister Ehud Barak and initiated the intifada in late September.
© 2001 TruthNews. All Rights Reserved. And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
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