Premier Zhu Urges Israel to Withdraw Troops

Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji expressed the Chinese government's deep anxiety about the Middle East situation, and made a strong request for Israel to unconditionally implement resolutions adopted by the United Nations Security Council and to withdraw its troops from Palestine-controlled areas at the earliest possible date.

Zhu said the above in Beijing Sunday during his talks with Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri who arrived in Beijing Saturday night on a three-day official visit to China as Zhu's guest.

During the talks, Hariri briefed Zhu on the current Mideast situation, and said he hoped that large countries such as China will play a positive role and push for early Mideast peace talks.

Zhu noted that recently Israel, disregarding the international community's appeals for peace, invaded large areas of Palestine-controlled land, besieged President Yasser Arafat, and also brought tension to the Lebanon-Israel border.

Facts prove that responding to force with further force is not the way to end conflict, said Zhu, pointing out that the only right and effective way to resolve the Mideast issue is to comply with the UN resolutions and the principle of "land for peace", as well as through political negotiation.

China sincerely hopes that the majority of Arab states will unite to fight against outside forces, he stressed.

Zhu said that China, for many years, has strongly supported the just struggle of the Arabian people, including the Lebanese people, to restore their legitimate rights and interests and to recover their lost land.

China will, as always, work with the international community and make unremitting efforts to ease the current tensions and push for an early, just and rational solution to the Mideast issue.

( April 29, 2002)