RAMALLAH, July 16 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian Minster of Foreign Affairs Riad Malki reiterated Sunday the depth of the Palestinian Chinese ties and vowed continued efforts to enhance it in all aspects.
Malki said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua at his office in West Bank city of Ramallah that the visit of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to China expected in a few days is "a message of friendship and gratitude to the Chinese position in support of the Palestinian cause over the years."
He added that the visit is a genuine message of the depth of the relations between Palestine and China and the importance of enhancing it, and a message of cooperation with regards to all Chinese ideas and international cooperation.
Malki reasserted the Palestinian will to value China's role in the peace process with Israel and in all regional issues.
"We look at the Palestinian-Chinese relation as a special one and we consider it developing over the past years. We appreciate this relation and we thank China for all that it has provided to Palestine over the long years," he said.
He also expressed appreciation to "the Chinese support to our cause, not just through its consistent and solid political position towards the Palestinian cause in all international platforms, but also the Chinese developmental, economic, capacity building of Palestinian National Authority (PNA) personnel, as part of the capacity building of the state of Palestine."
The top Palestinian diplomat highlighted the engagement of a high ranking Palestinian delegation at the Belt and Road Initiative Forum for International Cooperation held last May in Beijing, stressing the longing of the Palestinians to play a role and benefit from the initiative.
Malki also hailed the recent Palestinian-Chinese deal to form a joint ministerial committee with a focus of covering economic aspects between both sides, especially in terms of commerce, alongside continuing the political deliberations between the Palestinian and Chinese governments.