UNITED NATIONS,  (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Tuesday called for the peaceful settlement of the Palestine issue on the basis of a two-state solution and for efforts to promote peace through development.

The international community should firmly promote a peaceful settlement based on the two-state solution. Independent statehood is the inalienable national right of the Palestinian people that cannot be compromised or bargained away, said Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations.

He expressed the hope that relevant parties will take concrete action to advance the political process, and pave the way for the early resumption of peace talks between Palestinians and Israelis on an equal footing.

Relevant UN resolutions, the "land-for-peace" principle and the two-state solution set out the overall direction of a final settlement. They are important parameters in the Middle East peace process, and must be observed and reaffirmed, he told a Security Council meeting.

Zhang called on relevant parties to exercise maximum restraint and refrain from any hostile actions that may further aggravate the fragile security situation in Gaza. And the UN secretary-general's call for a global cease-fire should be heeded and truly followed.

The increased demolitions of Palestinian-owned structures in the West Bank are a matter of concern. Concrete efforts must be made to implement Security Council Resolution 2334, including ceasing all settlement activities, stopping demolitions, and preventing violence against civilians, he said.

The international community should take a holistic approach and promote peace through development, said Zhang. China commends the UN agencies including the World Health Organization and the UN agency for Palestine refugees for lending a helping hand, and calls for intensified international efforts to alleviate Palestine's economic and humanitarian difficulties.

It is also imperative to end the blockade on the Gaza Strip and allow timely delivery of humanitarian assistance and services to people in need, he said.

China firmly supports Palestine's just demands and all the efforts that are conducive to the settlement of the Palestine question. China stands with Palestine in its bid to establish an independent state that enjoys full sovereignty on the basis of the 1967 borders and with East Jerusalem as its capital, he said.

China will continue to provide support and assistance to the Palestinian people, including in the fight against COVID-19. China is also committed to working closely with the international community in the pursuit of a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East, he said.  ■