Chinese FM, Abbas meet on Palestine-Israel talks

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (R) meets with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in the West Bank city of Ramallah, on Dec 18, 2013. [Photo/Xinhua]

RAMALLAH - China unswervingly supports Palestine's efforts to build an independent state, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in Ramallah, Pakistan on Wednesday.

During a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Wang said the peace talks between Palestine and Israel have entered a key stage.

He called on Palestinians to stick to peace negotiations and make known their reasonable demands to gain widespread support and understanding from the international community.

For his part, Abbas said relations between Palestine and China have stood the test of time.

Palestinians are grateful for China's firm support for their just cause to restore their legitimate national rights, he said, adding that he appreciated Chinese President Xi Jinping's four-point proposal that aims to facilitate a solution to the Palestinian issue.

Palestine is committed to peace talks with Israel and will continue to carry out negotiations in a constructive way, Abbas added.

Before his meeting with Abbas, Wang visited Yasser Arafat's tomb in Ramallah to pay tribute to the former Palestinian leader.