Palestine is increasingly turning to China due to its disappointment with the Biden administration in the U.S., the Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki said Thursday.
"Three years have passed since President [Joe] Biden's promises, but we have seen nothing other than financial support to the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and hospitals in East Jerusalem," Riyad al-Maliki told reporters at Foreign Ministry headquarters in the occupied West Bank.
Maliki expressed his country's frustration with the U.S. position on Israel's violations, including its recent attacks in the northern West Bank city of Jenin.
The Biden administration has been a disappointment, he said.
Now Palestine is turning more to China, which supports their "full U.N. membership," Maliki said.
"China not only seeks to increase its economic presence but also its political presence in the Middle East. Many countries in the world want China's support as it has become a significant global player," he added.
"There is no peace process in the Middle East. If there is one in the future, why shouldn't China be involved alongside other countries?" he asked.
On recent claims of normalization efforts between Israel and Saudi Arabia, Maliki stressed that Saudi Arabia has embraced the two-state solution as a condition for normalization with Israel, which includes the establishment of an independent Palestinian state within the pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
He added: "We hope that Saudi Arabia will maintain its stance and not yield to any pressure. We want Saudi Arabia to listen to us, the rightful owners, and consult on this matter. Palestinian-Saudi relations are strong, and we trust them."
Peace negotiations between Palestine and Israel came to a halt in April 2014 due to factors such as Israel's continuation of illegal Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank and its spurning of a two-state solution.
The Palestinians accuse the U.S. of siding with Israel and being biased in the stalled peace process.
