Israeli President Moshe Katsav said that his country appreciated
the support and efforts of China in the Middle East peace process
and hoped that China would use its influence to make further
contributions.
Israeli President Moshe Katsav said that his country appreciated
the support and efforts of China in the Middle East peace process
and hoped that China would use its influence to make further
contributions.
"We are happy that China enjoys good relations with many of the
Arab states, and the Palestinians - this friendship of China with
both sides can only be helpful in advancing the cause of peace,"
Katsav said.
"I remain optimistic about the peace process because I believe
it is in the fundamental mutual interest of both the Israeli and
Palestinian people that we live in peace, and that we reach a fair
and lasting peace agreement."
Coinciding with the president's visit, the United Nations
Meeting for Asia and the Pacific on the Question of Palestine
opened yesterday in Beijing.
China, a permanent member of the United Nations's Security
Council, has repeatedly expressed that it hopes both Israel and
Palestine can reach an agreement with a flexible and pragmatic
attitude.
China is willing to develop its friendly, cooperative ties with
all Middle East countries, including Israel, Foreign Ministry
spokesman Liu Jianchao said last week.
No one side in the conflict is expected to gain one hundred
percent of its demands and that's why realizing a just and lasting
peace requires courage and wisdom from leaders, especially the
willingness to make painful compromises, said Gong Shaopeng, a
Middle East studies expert with Foreign Affairs College.
Katsav arrived in Beijing yesterday after a three-day visit to
Hong Kong.
Today, he will go to suburban areas to visit
Israel-China cooperative agricultural installations.
On Thursday, the president is scheduled to hold talks with
Chinese officials on bilateral relations, Middle East peace, the
threat of international terrorism and other common issues.
It is the first state visit by an Israeli president to China in
five years, although the 58-year-old Iranian-born Jewish president
had been twice to China previously, once on a private visit, and
once as a member of parliament.
The president said he regards himself as one of China's best
friends, and said he is astonished by China's recent dramatic
developments.
"China and Israel are enjoying rapid growth in bilateral trade
despite the global downturn in economic activity," said Katsav, who
was once chairman of the Israel-China Friendship Committee in the
Israeli parliament.
"Both countries aspire to develop along modern lines through
extensive use of high technology," he said.
To highlight the possibilities for high-tech cooperation, Katsav
is joined on this visit by the President of the Israel Academy of
Sciences Jacob Ziv, General Director of the Israeli Industrialist
Union Yoram Blizovski and Chairman of the Israel Export Institute
Shraga Brosh.
Nearly two years ago, such cooperation hit a roadblock after
Israel backtracked on a deal to sell the Phalcon advanced airborne
radar system to China.
The deal for the sophisticated surveillance system was aborted
because of pressure from the United States, which was concerned the
aircraft would be used against Taiwan.
China has said that the incident damaged relations between the
two countries, noting that Israel had to make efforts to correct
the situation.
Observers see Katsav's visit as an improvement in
Israeli-Chinese relations.
"It demonstrates Israel's desire to improve relations with
China," said Gong.
(China Daily December 17, 2003)