China to host Israeli-Palestinian meeting

BEIJING, Dec 12 (Reuters) China will host a meeting between Palestinian and Israeli politicians from Thursday, marking another step in Beijing's cautious but deepening involvement in the West Asia.

The seminar of ''Israeli and Palestinian people for peace'' will be attended by Israel's former deputy foreign minister Yossi Beilin, and by a former minister in the Palestinian Authority, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang told a regular news briefing in Beijing today.

''China staunchly supports any efforts favourable to peace in West Asia,'' Qin said. Beilin was one of the architects of the 1993 Oslo peace accord between Israel and the Palestinians.

A Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman later said the three-day meeting was the first of its kind for China. Beijing has sought friendly ties with both Israel and the Palestinians and called for peace between them, but has played a minor role in efforts to broker compromise.

A Chinese expert on West Asia said the meeting might be an exploratory step.

''I think this shows that China is thinking of a bigger role in resolving the Israeli-Palestinian issue,'' said Guo Xiangang of the China Institute of International Studies, a thinktank in Beijing.

''The Arab states have been calling on China to play a bigger role, and China is starting to think in that direction as its international role matures.'' China has had an envoy on West Asia affairs for several years, added Guo. ''But until now China has kept itself to issuing statements, and giving limited aid to the Palestinians,'' he said.

China's Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing will meet those attending and its special envoy on West Asia issues, Sun Bigan, and assistant foreign minister Zhai Jun, will attend the seminar, the spokesman Qin said.

REUTERS SHB VV1710