Beijing, Sept 18: While maintaining a diplomatic silence on the US veto, China today said it was "resolutely opposed" to Israel's plan to harm or deport Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and condemned the targeted killings undertaken by the Jewish state against Palestinians. "We are resolutely against the decision by Israel to expel chairman Arafat or to harm him personally," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said when asked to comment on the us veto of a draft resolution demanding that Israel not harm or deport Arafat.

While not commenting on Washington's use of veto, Kong said China, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, had "actively" participated in discussions and voted in favour of the resolution, sponsored by Syria. While describing the situation in the Middle East as "very complicated," he urged both Palestinians and Israelis not to engage in violent confrontations.

"We urge the immediate end to any suicide activities targeting civilians. We also condemn the actions by the Israeli side in the occupied territories such as the targeted killings," he said.

"We must stop the vicious circle of violence and push forward the peace process," he said, while hoping that the two sides would go along with the international community's efforts to find a peaceful solution to the Middle East question. At the 15-member United Nations Security Council voting held on September 16, eleven Security Council members voted in favour while Britain, Germany and Bulgaria abstained. The US voted the resolution because it did not contain a condemnation of what the US describes as terrorist groups such as hammers.

Bureau Report