Translation:
【Epoch Times, July 25, 2024】Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi recently held talks with representatives of 14 Palestinian factions including Hamas and Fatah and signed a declaration, showcasing a “united” stance. Chinese experts on the region believe that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is not genuinely concerned about regional peace but rather intervening in the sensitive Middle East region to provoke conflicts at any time. Another scholar believes that the CCP is forming a united front with Russia and terrorist forces in the Middle East, aiming to counter the United States and the Western world.
From July 21 to 23, internal reconciliation talks among various Palestinian factions were held in Beijing. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi hosted representatives from 14 Palestinian political factions including Fatah vice-chair Mahmoud al-Aloul and Hamas politburo member Mussa Abu Marzuk. This was a new round of mediation initiated by the CCP, aiming to seek compromises among various Palestinian factions, especially mediating the long-standing power struggle between Hamas and Fatah in Gaza and the West Bank.
At the closing ceremony of the reconciliation talks on July 23, representatives of the 14 Palestinian factions jointly signed the “Beijing Declaration.” This declaration decided to establish a “Temporary National Reconciliation Government,” focusing on the reconstruction of post-war Gaza.
Hamas and Fatah had previously conducted the first round of talks in Beijing in April this year to discuss ending the internal conflict lasting for about 17 years, but the negotiations did not yield substantive results. Subsequently, the second round of talks scheduled for June was postponed.
Several previous reconciliation attempts between the two factions have failed. Despite signing agreements and issuing public statements, hopes for reconciliation have become dim since Hamas violently expelled Fatah from the Gaza Strip in 2007, leaving the Palestinian factions in prolonged political division.
Regarding the CCP’s recent actions, Chinese expert and senior media figure Shi Shan told Epoch Times on July 24 that the CCP is not genuinely concerned about peace in Gaza and the West Bank but is trying to control some forces in the Middle East to provoke conflicts in this sensitive area at any time.
Cultural scholar Wu Zuolai also told Epoch Times that the CCP’s intervention this time is to form a united front with terrorist forces in the Middle East, with a long-term and sinister plan to counter the United States and the Western world.
Wu Zuolai stated that the CCP is using these hostile factions by providing funds and resources to facilitate compromises among them, preventing internal division within the broader pro-communist community. Currently, Hamas has been weakened and may be eliminated by Israel at any moment. Rather than waiting for Hamas to be destroyed, the CCP prefers to unite these factions to jointly confront Israel and the West.
“The CCP is using them, and they are using the CCP to strengthen their power,” said Wu Zuolai, adding that the situation in the United States is changing, with a potential return of Trump, who would likely increase support for Israel and adopt a tougher stance. Therefore, the CCP is now uniting with Hamas and Fatah to gain leverage in negotiations with Israel and the United States.
Wu Zuolai believes that once Hamas unites with Fatah, the organization may be preserved and legalized, allowing it to regroup and rise again. If they do not unite, Hamas will be completely destroyed by Israel. Therefore, the CCP’s intervention in uniting these terrorist forces aims to establish a united front to combat Western forces.
Hamas is viewed as a “terrorist organization” by the United States, the European Union, and Israel. Unlike Fatah, part of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), Hamas refuses to acknowledge Israel’s legitimacy. In 1993, former PLO leader Arafat and Israel reached peace through the Oslo Accord, ending armed conflicts that began in 1987, but Hamas rejected this agreement, continuing terrorist attacks against Israel.
In the second Palestinian Legislative Council election in January 2006, the dominant Fatah was defeated by the radical Hamas.
In 2007, clashes erupted between Fatah and Hamas, with Hamas seizing control of the Gaza Strip from Fatah by force, while Fatah continued to control parts of the West Bank. Since then, Palestine has been divided between the two factions, a situation that continues to this day.
As the two major rival factions in Palestine, Fatah and Hamas have held opposing political stances for a long time.
Fatah has a relatively moderate stance, advocating political negotiations with Israel and endorsing the “two-state solution.” Fatah aims to promote peace processes between Palestine and Israel, advocating long-term coexistence in the West Bank and Israel.
On the other hand, Hamas, an extremist armed Palestinian group, has a more radical ideology. Hamas seeks to establish an “Islamic state” in Palestine, still refusing to recognize Israel’s statehood and existence, persisting on armed resistance and strongly opposing the Oslo Accord.
Over the last 17 years, Arab countries have continuously mediated reconciliation efforts between Fatah and Hamas.
Previously, the two factions had engaged in multiple negotiations on ending hostilities, forming a Palestinian unity government, and restarting elections, reaching several agreements. However, due to irreconcilable differences in politics and security, these reconciliation agreements were not implemented.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a raid on Israeli towns, resulting in over a thousand casualties and around 200 hostages being taken to Gaza. Subsequently, Israeli forces launched a large-scale military operation in the Gaza Strip under the vow to continue fighting until Hamas is destroyed.
The ongoing conflict has plunged Gaza into a severe humanitarian crisis, with fierce clashes between Hamas, governing Gaza, and Fatah, partially controlling the West Bank, making the situation even more complicated.
US officials stated they have not yet reviewed the “Beijing Declaration.” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on July 23 that the US has designated Hamas as a terrorist organization, believing that Hamas should not participate in post-war governance in Gaza.
Israel promptly criticized Fatah, led by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Israeli Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz posted on social media platform X, stating: “Hamas and Fatah signed an agreement in China to jointly control post-war Gaza. This agreement will not come true in reality, as Hamas’ rule will be completely shattered, and Abbas will only watch from afar as Gaza falls. Israel’s security will remain in Israeli hands.”
Wu Zuolai believes that the CCP forming a united front with Middle Eastern terrorist organizations will have a significant impact. Just as the CCP recognized the Taliban in Afghanistan as a legitimate government and proceeded with diplomatic cooperation, the CCP is expanding its influence in the Middle East following this model. Economically, the Belt and Road Initiative is the CCP’s major rear; politically, uniting with Russia and Middle Eastern terrorist organizations is another significant rear.
However, Wu Zuolai noted: “The CCP’s threatening tactics are becoming increasingly sophisticated, but it is challenging to sustain. The CCP’s economy is facing serious issues, and it is in a crisis similar to that of Hamas and other terrorist organizations, struggling to survive. In the long run, this will not lead to significant changes but remain a temporary challenge to the Western world.”
Shi Shan also commented that the CCP is attempting to sow discord by providing financial aid to cause trouble in places and times it desires.
He said, “However, the international political environment has changed significantly. After 9/11, terrorism was once the global political focus, but now almost no one is concerned about terrorism. I believe the next focus will be the confrontation between China and the US, and all international affairs will revolve around this focus. Many changes will occur in international relations, mainly concerning the China-US confrontation.”
(Journalist Ning Xin contributed to this article)