China voices opposition to Israeli settlement expansion

The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Friday voiced China’s firm opposition to the expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory.

When asked to comment on media reports that the Israeli authorities recently confiscated occupied Palestinian territory, particularly in East Jerusalem, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin stressed that China opposed the unilateral alteration of the status of Jerusalem and the historically established status quo.

China always believes that the issue of Jerusalem’s status should be resolved through negotiations between the parties concerned in accordance with the relevant United Nations resolutions, Wang said.

The spokesperson pointed out that, against the backdrop of the ongoing escalation of tensions between Israel and Palestine and the expanding risk of spillover from the Gaza conflict, the parties concerned should be prudent in their words and refrain from any action that could lead to an escalation of the situation or even its loss of control.