Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, on Tuesday urged Israel to heed the strong call of the international community by immediately ending its unlawful presence in the occupied Palestinian territory.
In his remarks at the UN General Assembly (UNGA) emergency special session on the Palestinian question, Fu said decades of occupation and oppression have inflicted untold sufferings on the Palestinian people, and made the long-cherished dream of independent statehood ever more elusive.
Fu stressed that ending the occupation is not an option, but a legal obligation for Israel.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ), in its advisory opinion issued on July 19, unequivocally concluded that Israel's continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territory is a violation of international law, and that Israel is under an obligation to immediately bring to an end its unlawful presence in the occupied Palestinian territory, the ambassador said, adding that the ICJ's advisory opinion affirms the long-standing consensus of the international community and pinpoints the crux of the Palestinian question.
Fu noted that ending the occupation is to redress historical injustice and, more importantly, lay the foundation for peace.
Underscoring that independent statehood is the inalienable right of the Palestinian people as a nation, the ambassador said the prolonged illegal occupation has hindered the realization of self-determination of the Palestinian people and given Israel an exclusive veto over Palestine. "This is unacceptable," he said.
"History has fully demonstrated that occupation will not make Israel more secure; it will only breed more hatred and opposition, planting the seeds of unrest and instability throughout the Middle East. Only a complete end to the occupation and the establishment of the independent State of Palestine will truly make it possible for Palestine and Israel to stay side by side in peace, for the people of both nations to live in peace and tranquility, and for achieving lasting peace in the Middle East," said Fu.
Fu emphasized that the implementation of the two-State solution is the only viable way to resolve the question of Palestine, and is the broad consensus of the international community.
What is concerning is that Israel continues to make statements rejecting the "two-State solution", and the ongoing Gaza conflict that has lasted for 11 months has made the prospect of achieving the "two-State solution" even more uncertain, Fu said.
China advocates the convening of a more broad-based and effective international peace conference to revitalize the political prospects of the two-State solution and to work out a timetable and a roadmap for the implementation of "two-State solution", he said.
"Today is a historic moment," Fu said, noting that the State of Palestine has taken a seat among UN member states and introduced a draft resolution to the General Assembly that focuses on the implementation of the advisory opinion of the ICJ.
He said China will vote in favor of the draft resolution, and hopes the resolution will give new impetus to ending the occupation, implementing the two-State solution, and advancing the Middle East peace process.
Chinese envoy urges Israel to immediately end unlawful presence in occupied Palestinian territory
Chinese envoy urges Israel to immediately end unlawful presence in occupied Palestinian territory
China on Sunday released a plan on building itself into a strong power in education (2024–2035), outlining the strategic goals and the roadmap to build a world-class education system in the country by 2035.
Since the launch of reform and opening up, the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council have unveiled a set of guidelines to promote education, which has served as strategic guidance for educational development in different eras.
The newly published document defines the objectives and strategies for building China into a strong power in education. It aims to meet the growing demand of the public for higher-quality, fairer, and more diverse education, and tackle the long-standing challenges head on.
"The plan aims to narrow disparities across regions, between urban and rural areas, and among schools. Previously, we emphasized achieving quality and balanced education within counties, but now, the focus has shifted to achieving quality and balanced education within cities. For preschool education, the plan highlights the importance of addressing the needs of children aged two to three by increasing the availability of seats and care facilities in areas with the necessary resources. At the high school level, it emphasizes not only expanding resources, but also fostering specialized schools, such as science-focused high schools. In higher education, the plan calls for a gradual and orderly expansion of undergraduate enrollment in quality programs, as well as scaling up postgraduate education. This provides more opportunities for people to access quality education," said Li Yongzhi, president of China National Academy of Educational Sciences.
Education is both the foundation of public well-being and a pillar of national strength. In order to advance the Chinese modernization, the plan puts forward systematic measures to address mismatches in education supply and demand, as well as the shortage of strategically skilled professionals.
"Providing an excellent environment for top-tier innovative talents at an early stage is crucial. In higher education, the plan emphasizes promoting classified development, designing academic disciplines and talent cultivation programs, and reforming academic evaluation methods based on national strategies and market needs. These measures will lay a solid policy foundation for higher education to better align with national strategies and meet public demand for professional training," said Li.
The plan also sets a clear timeline and roadmap for achieving its goals. By 2027, China should have achieved significant progress in building it into a leading country in education. By 2035, the country should have fully realized the vision, with key targets achieved, including establishing the institutional system and working mechanism of the Party's overall leadership over the cause of education, building a high-quality education system, ensuring that the quality and accessibility of basic education rank among the best globally, building a learning-oriented society, significantly boosting public satisfaction with education, enhancing education's role in serving national strategies and realizing the education modernization on the whole.
Yu Fayou, vice president of China National Academy of Educational Sciences, shared his insights on the plan.
"First, the development of the education sector itself must be strong, with overall quality level of education being strong. Second, the system supporting education development must be strong. Third, education must make a strong contribution to the socioeconomic development as well as the national rejuvenation. For instance, the professionals we cultivate must play a significant role in driving economic and social progress. Fourth, education should have a strong international impact. Finally, public satisfaction and sense of fulfillment in education must be strong. Ultimately, building China into a strong power in education means building an education system that meets the people are satisfied with," Yu said.
China unveils blueprint on building itself into a leading country in education by 2035