Observer: China offers a viable path out of the Middle East's security predicament

In recent talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Chinese President Xi Jinping said China supports countries in the region in developing good-neighborly and friendly relations and exploring the building of a new security architecture in the Middle East by upholding a vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security.

With a focus on long-term peace and stability in the region, Xi raised a four-point proposal for building a new security architecture in the Middle East.

He said efforts should be made to foster the internal driving force for common security in the region. A comprehensive approach should be adopted to advance common security in the region, strengthen the foundation for common security through development and bolster international coordination for common security in the region, Xi added.

This proposal offers a Chinese approach to achieving lasting peace in the Middle East and reflects the sense of responsibility of a major country willing to share its insights with the region.

Building a new security architecture in the Middle East requires fostering the internal driving force for common security in the region. People in the Middle East should remain masters of their own affairs, and regional countries themselves should take the lead in handling their own security affairs.

In recent years, from the wave of reconciliation across the Middle East to institutionalized consultations among Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, Pakistan and Egypt, regional countries have shown an increasingly strong desire to pursue independence and self-reliance through solidarity.

China supports these efforts, encouraging Middle Eastern countries to strengthen peace and security dialogue on their own terms and build a security framework that reflects regional realities and accommodates the interests of all parties, so that they can firmly keep their future in their own hands.

Building a new security architecture in the Middle East requires adopting a comprehensive approach to advancing common security in the region. The Middle East is home to multiple hotspots that are closely interconnected. Resolving one issue in isolation can often have repercussions across the region, making comprehensive solutions essential.

The Palestinian issue remains at the core of the Middle East question and bears directly on international fairness and justice. It should never be overlooked or marginalized. Territorial disputes, sectarian differences and competition over energy are intertwined, while traditional and nontraditional security challenges are becoming increasingly complex.

Piecemeal measures cannot address the root causes. Only by upholding a vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security and considering the legitimate security concerns of all parties can the region gradually break free from its security predicament.

The immediate priority is to advance the implementation of the two-state solution and promote a just settlement of the Palestinian question, as the international community expects.

Building a new security architecture in the Middle East requires strengthening the foundation for common security through development. Security is the prerequisite for development, and development provides the foundation for security. Coordinating the two is the fundamental way to lasting peace and stability in the Middle East.

Rich in resources and strategically located, the region has enormous development potential and should play a positive role in global prosperity and stability. The safety and free passage of international shipping lanes serve the common interests of both regional countries and the wider international community.

China stands ready to work with regional countries to safeguard these lanes, advance development cooperation, promote greater convergence of interests, build mutual trust and gradually eliminate the conditions that give rise to conflict.

Promoting peace through development and pursuing security through cooperation will provide an enduring internal driving force for regional stability.

Building a new security architecture in the Middle East requires strengthening international coordination for common security in the region.

The UN Charter and international law provide the fundamental framework for addressing Middle East affairs. The international community, particularly major countries from outside the region, should reject double standards and genuinely respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of regional countries.

Support should be given to the UN in playing its due role in regional affairs, implementing UN Security Council resolutions on resolving Middle East hotspots, particularly the Palestinian question, and backing UN mediation efforts.

History has repeatedly shown that unilateral sanctions and "long-arm jurisdiction" imposed without UN authorization cannot achieve their intended objectives and that the path of hegemony and bullying will lead nowhere.

In the face of current difficulties and challenges, the international community should build consensus and work in concert to contribute positive energy to peace and stability in the region rather than create new confrontation and division.

An unstable Middle East means an unsettled world. International public opinion believes that China, seeking no geopolitical advantage and pursuing no bloc confrontation, has put the fundamental interests of the people of the region at the center, balanced security and development and taken into account the legitimate security concerns of all countries. In doing so, China has offered a viable path out of the Middle East's security predicament and provided a clear direction for resolving it.

China will always stand on the side of peace, on the side of dialogue and on the right side of history. It will continue to work with Middle Eastern countries and the international community to build a new security architecture for the region and make unremitting efforts to achieve lasting peace and stability.