China–Palestine relations
Palestinian leaders Yasser Arafat and Mahmoud Abbas have both visited China in official capacities, and relations between the two countries have been considered as cordial.China does not consider Hamas ruling the Gaza Strip as a terrorist organization, and officially supports the creation of a "sovereign and independent Palestinian state" based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.[9] During the November 2012 Operation Pillar of Defense in the Gaza Strip, a Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokersperson told reporters in a news conference that China expressed "concern" to the clashes and urge all sides, particularly Israel, to display restraint and avoid civilian casualties.[10] On November 29, 2012, China voted in favor of UN General Assembly Resolution 67/19 Palestine to non-member observer state status in the United Nations."[12] China voted in favor of UN Security Council Resolution 2334 condemning Israeli settlement building on the West Bank and typically takes positions sympathetic to the Palestinian cause at the United Nations.In early 2016, CCP general secretary Xi Jinping reasserted China's support for "the establishment of a Palestinian state with its capital being eastern Jerusalem" in a meeting with the Arab League.Wang went on to say that China supports Palestinians' efforts to create an independent state based on the borders set before the 1967 Six-Day War as well as the establishment of its future capital in East Jerusalem.[21] Palestine's President Mahmoud Abbas has visited China on five occasions as of June 2023[update][22] and has voiced support for Beijing's policies toward Muslim minorities in Xinjiang.[23] During his fifth visit on 13 June 2023, he met with president Xi Jinping and premier Li Qiang to discuss the latest developments in Palestine as well as other regional and international issues.[27] Following Russia and China's veto against a US draft resolution on 25 October in the UN Security Council, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh issued a statement praising the two countries' position.[30][31] Following talks mediated by China, on 23 July 2024, Palestinian factions including Hamas and Fatah reached an agreement to end their divisions and form an interim unity government, which they announced in the "Beijing Declaration".