On the 22nd local time, the hearing held by the United Nations International Court of Justice on the issue of Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories entered its fourth day. The representative of China made a statement in the oral proceedings in the advisory opinion on the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
In accordance with China's policy and position on the question of Palestine, the representative of China expounded China's views and propositions on legal issues such as the advisory jurisdiction of the Court, national self-determination, the law on the use of force and international humanitarian law, and expressed firm support for the just cause of the Palestinian people to restore their legitimate national rights.
Ma Xinmin, Director of the Department of Treaty and Law, China's Legal Adviser: It has been 57 years since Israel began to occupy the Palestinian territories, and no matter how long the occupation lasts, the illegal nature of the occupation remains the same, and the sovereignty of the occupied territories remains the same. Mr. President, justice is long overdue, but it must not be denied, and the solution to the Palestinian question requires the joint efforts of both Palestine and Israel.
This is the second time in 15 years that China has participated in the oral proceedings of the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice for Kosovo, following its participation in the oral proceedings of the advisory opinion on the independence of Kosovo of the International Court of Justice in 2009.
On 30 December 2022, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution requesting an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice on "the legal consequences arising from Israeli policies and practices in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem". In July 2023, 54 countries, including China, the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, and France, as well as the League of Arab States, the African Union, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, submitted written submissions to the court. From 19 to 26 February this year, the International Court of Justice held oral proceedings to hear oral statements from 51 countries, including Palestine, China, Russia, the United States, the United Kingdom, and France, as well as three international organizations, including the League of Arab States, the African Union, and the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation Organization.
This case is the second time that the General Assembly has requested the Court to issue an advisory opinion on the question of Palestine, following the 2004 advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice finding that Israel's construction of the wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory was contrary to international law. Against the backdrop of the escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict since October 2023, the case has attracted widespread attention from the international community. The advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice is not legally binding, but it has legal and moral authority and will have an important impact on a comprehensive, lasting and just settlement of the question of Palestine.