Political and intelligence circles in Beijing believed that the British and French declarations regarding a Palestinian state reflected the deep frustration felt by the two countries regarding Israel’s conduct in the war on Gaza, which claimed the lives of tens of thousands of Palestinians and left nearly two million people in a state of extreme poverty and hunger. This was confirmed by the Chinese Foreign Ministry, through its official spokesperson, Guo Jiajun, at a press conference held in Beijing on Monday, September 22, 2025, in response to the British and French decisions to recognize the State of Palestine: “The Gaza Strip belongs to the Palestinian people and is an integral part of the Palestinian territories.” The Chinese official spokesperson addressed the matter, stating that “the decision by Britain, Canada, Australia, and Portugal to recognize the State of Palestine necessitates guaranteeing the legitimate national rights of Palestine and implementing the two-state solution between Palestine and Israel.” China, through its Foreign Ministry, emphasized that “Gaza belongs to the Palestinian people and is an integral part of their territory. A comprehensive ceasefire must be achieved in Gaza, and the humanitarian catastrophe must be alleviated immediately.” Referring to the United States, the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s statement stated, “A country that exercises special influence over Israel must take steps to fulfill its responsibilities.” China also declared its willingness to work with the international community to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza, support the Palestinians in restoring their legitimate national rights, and find a just, comprehensive, and lasting solution to the problem.
Here, China believes that the United States remains the main obstacle to the implementation of the two-state solution to the Palestinian issue. The only obstacle to a viable solution on the ground, particularly with regard to the establishment of two states, remains the United States’ refusal to take any steps due to its absolute support for Israel. China expects several other countries to formally recognize the State of Palestine at the global summit co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France on Monday, September 22, 2025, a day after Australia, Britain, Canada, and Portugal took this step, further angering Israel. However, Chinese political, intelligence, and security circles believe that regardless of the number of countries that recognize a Palestinian state, full membership in the United Nations requires the approval of the Security Council, where Washington holds veto power. This prevents Palestine from becoming a full member of the UN while maintaining its current non-voting observer status.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi also stated that “promoting a comprehensive ceasefire in Gaza is of great urgency,” calling on the international community to unifiedly support this plan to prevent the humanitarian catastrophe from expanding. He called on all countries to exert pressure on the Zionist entity while urging the UN Security Council and relief agencies to fully assume their responsibilities. Wang Yi also emphasized that “the principle of Palestinian governance over Palestine must be respected, and Gaza and the West Bank must be recognized as indivisible Palestinian territories. Any post-war arrangements must respect and support the aspirations and rights of the Palestinian people.”Wang Yi also supported Palestine’s full membership in the United Nations and stressed the need to promote the two-state solution, rejecting any unilateral action that would undermine this process. Wang Yi expressed China’s concern over the ongoing conflict and humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip, criticizing the Zionist entity’s plans to seize Gaza City and its aggression against the West Bank, describing these actions as a serious violation of international law and a threat to the stability of the Middle East. Wang Yi rejected these double standards in dealing with the Palestinian issue, affirming Palestine’s right to establish an independent state, and declaring that China is committed to supporting the just cause of the Palestinian people and working to achieve a ceasefire and a just and lasting solution based on UN resolutions and the two-state solution.
To this end, China reiterated its support for the two-state solution as the only way to achieve lasting peace, calling for a comprehensive ceasefire and alleviating the humanitarian suffering in Gaza. It emphasized that the West Bank and Gaza Strip are part of the Palestinian territories, warning that recent Israeli plans could undermine the foundations of this solution. China may view the French and British recognition of the State of Palestine as more of a media stunt than a reality, given that France is one of the countries supplying Israel with arms. China believes that the UN General Assembly issued a resolution supporting the two-state solution, but this resolution is not legally binding, and its impact may be limited without the support of the UN Security Council.
On the other hand, China interprets this shift in political positions around the world as a return of the Palestinian issue to the forefront of the international agenda, given the continued policy of genocide in the Gaza Strip and the Israeli occupation’s occupation of West Bank lands and cities.China sees this step as a clear positive sign, reflecting the global consensus that the occupying state of Israel is a destabilizing force in the region, with its ongoing attacks on countries across the region, from Lebanon and Syria to Yemen and Qatar. This British, French, and international recognition adds an important dimension to the Palestinian cause. But more important, from China’s perspective, are the concerted global efforts to halt the genocide, prevent any plans to displace Palestinians, and halt all forms of aggression.
Finally, China expects the diplomatic representation of Palestinian missions in countries that have recognized the State of Palestine to be elevated to the level of full embassies. However, it is unlikely that these countries will be able to open new embassies with full powers within the Palestinian territories themselves, given Israel’s control over the Palestinian interior and its maximum pressure on it.Considering that approximately 40 different countries around the world have actual consulates or representative offices, either in Ramallah, the seat of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, or in parts of Jerusalem occupied by Israel in 1967, which the Palestinians hope will become their capital, the obstacle remains: Israel considers all of Jerusalem its unified capital and seeks to relocate a large number of foreign embassies there. Given that most official embassies in Israel are located in Tel Aviv, the United States, Israel’s close ally, moved its embassy to Jerusalem during President Trump’s first term, a move that sparked Arab, Islamic, and international reactions to the American move.
