Beijing, June 14: Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated to Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas on Wednesday his call for a state of Palestine to become a “full member” of the United Nations, state media reported.
Xi expressed Beijing’s position during a summit with Arab countries in Saudi Arabia in December, although the latest call comes as the Asian powerhouse works to strengthen its role as mediator in the Middle East.
Xi met Abbas during the December trip and pledged to “work for an early, just and durable solution to the Palestinian issue”.
Beijing has since positioned itself as a mediator in the Middle East, brokering the restoration in March of ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia — rivals in a region where the United States has for decades been the main powerbroker
“China supports Palestine in becoming a full member State of the United Nations,” Xi said during a meeting with Abbas in Beijing, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.
