Hamas and Fatah sign ‘Beijing declaration’ as national unity agreement after China talks hosted by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
Fatah and Hamas leaders signed a joint statement in Beijing on Tuesday, aiming to end divisions and build Palestinian unity. This agreement strengthens China’s claim as a global mediator but is unlikely to resolve the deep rift between the Palestinian political factions.
China did not immediately release the “Beijing declaration” text or the full list of Palestinian leaders involved in the three-day negotiations hosted by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
“The core outcome is that the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organisation) is the sole legitimate representative of all Palestinian people,” Mr Wang said.
Chinese state media hailed the agreement as a breakthrough and evidence of China’s growing role as a peace broker in distant conflicts. The agreement was signed by representatives of 14 Palestinian factions.
Photos from the talks included Mahmoud al-Aloul, vice chairman of Fatah’s central committee, and Mussa Abu Marzuk, a senior Hamas member. Wang stated that ambassadors from Egypt, Russia, and Algeria also attended, calling the meeting a “historic moment for the cause of Palestine’s liberation.” He highlighted the consensus on forming an interim national reconciliation government to manage Gaza post-war, reiterated China’s support for a sustainable cease-fire, and proposed an international peace conference for a two-state solution.
China has positioned itself as a peacemaker in challenging conflicts.
“China’s Middle East policy is different from the West’s,” said Tang Zhichao of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, emphasizing the need to reverse the lack of international mediation, partly due to Western geopolitical marginalization of the Palestinian issue. Last year, China brokered a détente between Iran and Saudi Arabia, an accord that Washington had to applaud despite being facilitated by its main geopolitical rival.
“The Middle East is not the territory of any one major power,” stated the Global Times in an editorial, highlighting Beijing’s “unique diplomatic mediation model” fostering regional reconciliation.
China has also positioned itself as a mediator in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, promoting a 12-point peace proposal.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba is set to visit Beijing on Tuesday for discussions with his Chinese counterpart, seeking to gain Chinese support to end Russian aggression.
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