2025年3月19日，上外中东研究所外籍博士研究生、巴勒斯坦人民斗争阵线中央委员Alaa Aldeek和丁俊教授在Al-Zaytouna Centre for Studies and Consultations网站发表评论文章“Political Opinion: Chinese Diplomacy and its Role in Achieving Palestinian National Unity”，全文如下：

Political Opinion: Chinese Diplomacy and its Role in Achieving Palestinian National Unity

Preface

In a dispute that began after the Palestinian legislative elections in 2006 between the Fatah and Hamas movements, split occurred that resulted in Hamas taking control of Gaza in 2007.

Accordingly, there has been Fatah-led government in the West Bank, and another in the Gaza Strip led by Hamas. For this reason, several stations were held to achieve Palestinian national unity, but it did not succeed in reality. The most recent was the “Beijing Declaration”, the agreement signed on July 23, 2024 between 14 Palestinian factions, including Fatah and Hamas, as part of the reconciliation process between the two factions. Therefore, this study came to analyze and explain the reasons that prevent the achievement of Palestinian national unity and the impact of this on the prospects for the settlement of the Palestinian issue, as well as to develop practical recommendations for the Palestinian parties and those interested in the Palestinian issue.

Palestinian Efforts

Many Palestinian factions, both inside and outside the PLO, and academics, independents, federations, unions, civil and Human Rights Institutions in Palestine have tried to put forward various initiatives to encourage Fatah and Hamas movements to achieve the file of national unity, out of their keenness on the Palestinian case and the unity of the Palestinian people and its institutions, especially that the Palestinians are fighting the Battle of national liberation to get rid of the occupation, as well as the Democratic construction of the institutions of the Palestinian state.

These efforts have not been successful on the reality. And also despite the difficult circumstances that the Palestinian people are going through, especially after the seventh of October 2023, the Palestinian national unity is still absent. In May 2006, the Palestinian prisoners’ document was issued to achieve national unity, but it was not successful. Also in December 2020, the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas held a meeting of the general secretaries of all Palestinian factions, in the presence of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, in the cities of Ramallah and Beirut, in which he stressed the need to achieve internal Palestinian unity as one people and one political system, in order to achieve the goals and aspirations of our people in freedom, return and independence.

These efforts have not been successful, and Palestinian internal unity remains in constant absence despite all the circumstances facing the Palestinian case and people. This raises an important question that needs to be considered and analyzed: is it difficult for the Palestinians to unite, and why! And what circumstances it is possible to unite them! And this certainly needs an independent national will away from all the surrounding circumstances.

Arab and Regional Efforts

There are many stations for trying to push towards achieving Palestinian national unity, the most prominent of which we will mention. In February 2007, the Mecca Agreement was signed between Fatah and Hamas movements, with the aim of ending the internal fighting in the Gaza Strip and forming a national unity government. And In March 2008, an agreement was announced in Sana’a to promote Palestinian national unity between the two factions. Besides, in March 2009, talks were announced in Cairo between the two factions to form a national unity government and prepare for the holding of Palestinian general elections in early January 2010, and in the same year, intensive Palestinian meetings were held in Damascus and Doha with the aim of achieving national unity.

In addition, in May 2012, the Cairo agreement was announced to form a national unity government and call for general elections, in conjunction with Palestine’s obtaining an observer at the United Nations in December 2012. Talks between the two factions continued in Cairo, and in April 2014, the two factions signed the Gaza and Cairo agreements with the aim of forming a unity government (technocrats) and calling for general elections within six months.

Moreover, in 2017, the two factions signed an agreement in Cairo with the aim of achieving national unity and enabling the Government of National Accord to succeed and carry out its tasks according to the legal and administrative committee to resolve all outstanding issues. And in July 2020, a joint Fatah-Hamas press conference was held in order to counter the deal of the century, put forward by US President Trump to settle the Palestinian issue.

Furthermore, in October 2022, all Palestinian factions, in the presence of Fatah and Hamas movements, signed the Algiers agreement to achieve Palestinian national unity, provided that general elections would be held within a year of signing the agreement, and affirming that the PLO is the sole representative of the Palestinian people, with the need for all factions to participate in it. And in February 2024, Palestinian factions, including Fatah and Hamas, were invited to attend Moscow talks with the aim of achieving internal Palestinian unity, and therefore it was announced that an understanding was signed between the factions to end the division and restore Palestinian national unity. There are also many meetings that have been held between the Palestinian parties intensively, especially in Doha and Egypt.

Despite this, these efforts have not met with the required success, especially with the increasing popular and official demands for the need to achieve Palestinian internal unity in order to support efforts to settle the Palestinian issue despite the challenges. And this is certainly due to many regional or international tensions and contradictions that continue to negatively affect the achievement of Palestinian internal unity, especially related to interference in the internal affairs of the Palestinians by some forces that support one party at the expense of another.

Chinese Efforts

Fatah and Hamas continued their dialogue, as the two factions met in Beijing in late April 2024 at the invitation of the Chinese leadership, and it was hereby agreed to hold a comprehensive Palestinian meeting under Chinese auspices to achieve Palestinian national unity in July of the same year in Beijing. In this regard, the “Beijing Declaration” was signed, which is the agreement signed on July 23, 2024 between 14 Palestinian factions, including Fatah and Hamas, as part of the reconciliation process between the two factions. Therefore, the Beijing Declaration to achieve Palestinian national unity is an opportunity that can be built on in the future to support and strengthen Chinese diplomatic efforts to settle the Palestinian issue in international forums, especially that China supports Palestine’s right to obtain full membership in the United Nations and achieve the legitimate and just goals of the Palestinian people.

This confirms that Chinese diplomatic efforts are effective and continuous to achieve Palestinian national unity, but what makes it unique from other efforts that are also important to achieve the same end. So there are a number of factors to explain this, which will be analyzed in this study, such as, China is a developed country, an important member of the international equation, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, and has many international partnerships in international organizations, such as, BRICS, Shanghai Cooperation Group and others. Therefore, China can lead effective efforts at the regional and international levels to settle the Palestinian issue and achieve Palestinian national reconciliation.

Furthermore, China keens on the effectiveness and credibility of the international system, so it is committed to strengthen security and stability in the Middle East Region by considering this an important axis in its foreign policy. And China considers the Palestinian issue to be a key axis for achieving security and stability in the Middle East region, so China places this issue on its priority list in its diplomatic strategy and international relations in all forums. Therefore, China is committed to address various issues that will strengthen the Palestinian position, such as achieving Palestinian internal unity and supporting the legitimacy of state institutions, in order to serve the entire issue to reach a just and lasting settlement in cooperation with international parties.

In addition, the effectiveness of Chinese diplomacy has shown the interest of the Chinese leadership at the highest levels in the most important details related to the Palestinian issue in every forum, Chinese Foreign Minister and member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China Wang Yi stressed during his speech on China’s foreign policy and international relations, in front of the third session of the National People’s Congress held in Beijing, on May 7, 2025, that Gaza Strip is an integral part of the state of Palestine and it belongs to the Palestinians, as well as the Palestinian Liberation Organization is the legitimate and sole representative of the Palestinian people, and called on the Palestinian factions to unite under its umbrella, and should assume responsibility to achieve partnership and effective Palestinian national unity.

Accordingly, he stressed the importance of the implementation by the Palestinian factions of the Beijing agreement in order to strengthen the position through solidarity, and thus overcome differences to support efforts to establish an independent state of Palestine. This confirms the keenness of China and its leadership to overcome all challenges that affect the path to a comprehensive, lasting and just settlement of the Palestinian issue.

And finally, Chinese diplomacy has taken shape in the form of initiatives and ideas aimed at promoting cooperation and sustainable dialogue supported by mutual respect and Justice. For instance, Chinese President Xi Jinping launched the global security initiative in April 2022 with the aim of strengthening global governance and peace dialogue through a commitment to cooperation, sustainable security and conflict resolution through political dialogue. So Global governance requires the achievement of lasting security and peace in the Middle East Region, and this requires a just and effective settlement of the Palestinian issue.

Therefore, China’s efforts to promote political dialogue and understanding among all parties, especially among the Palestinians themselves, will lead to the construction of a strong and well-governed Palestinian institution, thereby strengthening Palestinian governance. This will reflect on the success of China’s diplomatic efforts to strengthen governance in the region, as well as maintain the integrity and effectiveness of international institutions through joint cooperation to make the principle of multilateralism in the international system a success. Thus, the settlement of the Palestinian issue in international forums in a comprehensive, just and sustainable manner.

Conclusion

The role of Chinese diplomacy in achieving Palestinian national unity is consistent and effective. China supports Arab and regional efforts to achieve Palestinian unity, and always welcomes efforts in this direction. China rejects interference in the internal affairs of any country by any party, and respects the right of people to self-determination without being dictated by anyone. China also supports unity and solidarity among all Arab countries with the aim of overcoming all disputes and conflicts to achieve security, safety and peace for all people. But there are actors who do not want the internal unity of Palestine to be realized in order to influence the efforts made by friendly parties, such as China and others, to settle the Palestinian issue in international forums. So they support one party at the expense of another, and hold one party responsible for what is happening. And the absence of real Palestinian will to achieve internal Palestinian unity by all parties, especially in light of the challenges and difficult circumstances that the issue and the Palestinian people are going through. And finally the absence of cooperation with China in this framework by international actors in the Middle East, which leaves a negative impact on the settlement of the Palestinian issue in international forums.

Recommendations

Encourage the Palestinians to implement the “Beijing Declaration” to achieve Palestinian national unity in order to support China’s diplomatic efforts to settle the Palestinian issue in international forums. And activating collective work from all sides of the Palestinian people to rebuild the PLO concretely, by involved everyone in it without exception, and achieve trust between the institutions of the Palestinian state and the Palestinian people. Also the international actors in the Middle East should cooperate with China, and put pressure on everyone to complete the “Beijing agreement” to achieve Palestinian unity, and therefore strive to settle the Palestinian issue in accordance with international law and relevant resolutions. And finally, the Arab parties should adopt the “Beijing Declaration” to achieve Palestinian unity in the decisions of the Arab summits to support China’s efforts in this framework, as well as support their effective and consistent role to settle the Palestinian issue.

来源：Al-Zaytouna Centre for Studies and Consultations

（本文观点仅为作者或被访者个人观点，不代表本研究机构立场）