China Backs Palestine’s Unity Government and Hamas Dialogue Amid Intensified Conflict with Israel

The Chinese government has expressed its support for initiatives that aim to strengthen the position of the Palestinian Authority and facilitate dialogue with other factions, including Hamas. This comes after years of conflict between the Palestinian Authority and Hamas over the formation of a Palestinian unity government, which intensified following the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas on October 7.

President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority recently reorganized his cabinet in response to a call from the United States to revitalize the structure that Hamas criticized as ineffective in governing the Palestinian territories. China Foreign Ministry spokesman, Wang Wenbin, stated that China will support efforts to strengthen the Palestinian National Authority and promote reconciliation among Palestinian factions.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi previously stated that recognizing Palestine would correct a historical injustice and that all UN member states should fulfill their duty to recognize Palestine. He emphasized that such recognition should not be contingent on Israeli-Palestinian negotiations but rather serve as a step towards granting Palestine equal negotiating leverage for a two-state solution with Israel.