China says lack of Palestinian state is ‘historical injustice’

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi says Israeli-Palestinian peace talks should be revived in an effort to correct the “historical injustice” of Palestinians not having their own state.

Wang’s comments on Thursday come at a press conference following his meeting with Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki in Beijing, the Associated Press reports.

Wang says it is “unfair” that Palestinians still do not have an independent state 70 years after a UN resolution called for the partition of Palestine into Jewish and Arab states.

“This kind of historical injustice must be corrected. It cannot continue,” Wang says.

Maliki encourages China “to do more” to bring peace to the Middle East.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Beijing in March for meetings with top Chinese officials that focused largely on enhancing economic ties between the countries.

— JTA