China supports Arabs

China is almost as far from Palestine as North Pole from equator, therefore its role in the Middle-East issues is almost null, though Ziang Ze Min’s coming visit to Axis of Evil’s country Iran and to pariah country Libya could heighten China’s rating in this region. Person number three in today’s Chinese hierarchy, Chinese State Council’s Prime-Minister Zhu Rongji, while meeting one of these days with the Prime-Minister of Luxemburg, found it necessary to touch upon the subject of the Middle-East conflict and formulated his position shortly and clearly: Israel must immediately execute UN Security Council’s resolutions and withdraw its troops from the Palestinian territories and guarantee personal security of Yasir Arafat, who is being considered by China as “leader of Palestinian nation and one of Palestine-Israel peaceful negotiations’ initiator, who made an important contribution to Middle-East peaceful process.” It seems to be a good base for Ziang Ze Min’s appearance in Iran and Libya to strengthen Chinese positions in the Arab world. That this statement is not casual, publications in leading Chinese media witness. The Beijing English-language newspaper China Daily and the army’s newspaper Zefanjun Bao commented upon these events in following way: “To be honest, Palestinian nation’s demands are not overstated. These demands could be understood: to be master of its nation, to possess the same sovereignty and territorial integrity as other independent nations do. According to 242nd and 338th UN resolutions, Jewish state and Palestinian state must be build on principles of coexistence in this Holy Land. Though, Israel, with its economical and military power, backed by super powers, from the very outset undermined creation of Palestinian state.” The author stresses: “We are not against Jewish nation which is peaceful like other nations in the whole world, we do not patronize Palestinians. We judge about everything from views of justice and honesty. As there is no progress, Palestinians have nothing better to do than to take weapon and to fight for their rights and dignity. Sharon’s hard policy independently on whether it supports party interests or personal inclinations, will obviously cause more cruelties both for Israelis and Palestinians.” “Incursion of Israel into Palestine cannot be justified with the fact that it suffers from suicide terrorists,” - Zefanjun Bao stresses. Israel’s arguments is estimated by the newspaper as illogical. The latest round of Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the article reads, is being continued for half a year, while it started since Sharon’s visit of Al Axa mosque September 28, 2000. The latest Israel’s attack took place at the very sensible moment, when the Arab summit made a decision which gave hopes of peace in the region. One more important thing: while stressing that political aspirations of the Palestinian people are just and supported in the whole world, the Chinese newspaper critically estimated US policy as Middle-East mediator, which is “often too favourable for Israel.” So, China openly shows whose part it takes. It shows that in the today’s situation, it is the only superpower, uniquely supporting just cause of Palestinians. While this promises benevolence of the whole Arab world to China. Apropos, in Germany, where Zian Ze Min coincidentally was at the same time with Putin, anti-China demonstrations of “human rights activists” were carried out. But then, in Iran and Libya, Zian Ze Min will for sure be met as defender of oppressed nations’ rights.

Andrei Krushinsky PRAVDA.Ru Beijing

Translated by Vera Solovieva

Read the original in Russian: http://www.pravda.ru/main/2002/04/10/39539.html