China backs State of Palestine with East al-Quds as capital

China has called for the establishment of a Palestinian state with full sovereignty and independence and with East Jerusalem al-Quds as its capital.

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, Lu Kang, said on Thursday that Beijing understood the concerns of Muslim countries about the status of occupied territories after a controversial move by US President Donald Trump to declare that the US would recognize Jerusalem al-Quds as the “capital” of Israel.

Trump announced the decision last week, saying his administration would begin a process of moving the American embassy from Tel Aviv to the holy city.

The move triggered demonstrations in the occupied Palestinian territories, Iran, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia, Algeria, Iraq, Morocco, and other Muslim countries.

It also triggered outspoken opposition by world countries, including Europe. 

“We support the settlement of this issue in accordance with relevant UN resolutions and international consensus,” Lu said. “We also support the establishment of an independent State of Palestine that enjoys full sovereignty, with East Jerusalem as its capital and based on the 1967 border.”

He also said Beijing hoped that a comprehensive, fair, and enduring solution could soon be found to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which convened an urgent summit in the Turkish city of Istanbul, declared Trump’s move null and void.

The OIC also called on all Muslim nations to respond by pressing the world for the recognition of East Jerusalem al-Quds as the capital of a Palestinian state.

Israel annexed East Jerusalem al-Quds after it occupied the Palestinian territories of the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and the Syrian Golan Heights during the Six-Day War of 1967. That annexation has never been recognized by the international community.