China and the Palestinian Authority signed a “strategic partnership” when President Mahmoud Abbas visited Beijing on Wednesday, China said.
Mr Abbas was welcomed with full military honours at the Great Hall of the People, as China looks to compete with the US in bolstering Middle East ties.
“We are good friends and partners,” Chinese President Xi Jinping told Mr Abbas at the start of their meeting.
Mr Xi called the strategic partnership an “important milestone in the history of bilateral relations”, but no further details were released.
Mohammed Mustafa, economic adviser to Mr Abbas, said earlier this week that the two nations had formed an agreement in principle over Chinese funding for four West Bank projects including a solar power installation, a factory for solar panel production, a steel plant and road infrastructure development.
Mr Abbas, on his fifth official visit to China in almost 20 years at the head of the PA, said he would like to establish a free trade zone between the two nations.
He added said his administration was “looking forward to strengthening co-operation with China within the framework of its initiative” and securing investments.
“We especially appreciate the Chinese side’s commitment to financing a number of development projects presented by Palestine. We wish the speedy dispatch of technical delegations to implement these projects,” he said.
Mr Xi also touted a three-point plan for achieving peace between Palestine and Israel, one similar to a proposal he raised in 2013. The plan includes an independent Palestinian state along the lines of the 1967 agreement, international funding for the Palestinian people and a peace conference involving many international actors.
“We have always firmly supported the just cause of the Palestinian people to restore their legitimate national rights,” Mr Xi said.
“China is willing to strengthen co-ordination and co-operation with the Palestinian side to promote a comprehensive, just and lasting solution to the Palestinian issue as soon as possible.”
Mr Abbas, who will be in China until Friday, told Mr Xi he was grateful to Beijing for its role in supporting Palestinian issues on the international stage, and excoriated Israel, saying its current government led by Benjamin Netanyahu was not interested in peace, Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.
His visit follows China's hosting of talks between Iran and Saudi Arabia that resulted in the restoring of diplomatic relations between the two and boosting Beijing's standing in the region.
The Riyadh-Tehran rapprochement is seen as a diplomatic victory for China as Gulf Arab states perceive the US as slowly withdrawing from the wider region.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Al Jazira 3 (O Abdulrahman 43', Kenno 82', Mabkhout 90 4')
Al Ain 1 (Laba 39')
Red cards: Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain)
The 12 breakaway clubs
England
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur
Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus
Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid
FIXTURES
All kick-off times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Brackets denote aggregate score
Tuesday:
Roma (1) v Shakhtar Donetsk (2), 11.45pm
Manchester United (0) v Sevilla (0), 11.45pm
Wednesday:
Besiktas (0) v Bayern Munich (5), 9pm
Barcelona (1) v Chelsea (1), 11.45pm
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
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A%20MAN%20FROM%20MOTIHARI
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Tips%20for%20holiday%20homeowners
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England squad
Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Dominic Bess, James Bracey, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Ben Foakes, Lewis Gregory, Keaton Jennings, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Saqib Mahmood, Craig Overton, Jamie Overton, Matthew Parkinson, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Dom Sibley, Ben Stokes, Olly Stone, Amar Virdi, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood