By Huan Yuping, People’s Daily

During the 80th session of the UN General Assembly High-level Week, the peaceful settlement of the Palestinian question and the implementation of the two-State solution became the focus of international attention. 

France, Monaco, Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta, and Andorra have recognized the State of Palestine, joining earlier acknowledgments by the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Portugal. This brings total recognition to 157 of the UN’s 193 member states.

While this diplomatic surge injects momentum into a strained political landscape, recognition marks a beginning – not an endpoint. Converting diplomatic symbolism into political progress requires greater resolve and concrete steps that rebuild a credible pathway to two states.

At the heart of the two-State solution is the coexistence of Palestine and Israel as sovereign states. The prevailing international view remains clear: the only viable resolution is an independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital. 

Despite Palestine’s 1988 declaration of statehood and subsequent recognition by most UN members, decades of hesitation, particularly among some Western nations, have marginalized the issue. The latest round of violence is, in part, a consequence of that neglect.

Today, the prolonged conflict has led to an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe. In Gaza alone, over 65,000 lives have been lost, nearly half of them women and children, and 2 million people face a profound survival crisis. At the General Assembly, numerous countries described ongoing events as “genocide in Gaza,” while consensus around the urgency of implementing the two-State solution has widened. 

“Recognizing the State of Palestine is support for the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination. It is not a gift but a legitimate right,” said Riyad Mansour, the permanent observer of the State of Palestine to the UN. Annalena Baerbock, president of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, noted that the international community is working on a practical and irreversible roadmap to achieve the two-State solution.

With war still raging, civilians cannot be protected and political settlement remains elusive. The immediate priority must be a comprehensive ceasefire in Gaza, pursued with the greatest sense of urgency. Continued military escalation is claiming innocent lives every day. The weaponization of humanitarian supplies and the militarization of their distribution – both egregious violations of international law – are eroding the foundations of a two-state solution and directly imperiling regional stability.

The international community, especially states with significant influence over the parties concerned, must fulfill their responsibilities by upholding fairness and justice and actively facilitate negotiations. The UN Security Council and humanitarian agencies must do their part to create conditions conducive to implementing the two-state solution.

A political settlement remains the only viable path forward for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Yet the path has been obstructed by the partiality of certain countries. Driven by narrow geopolitical calculations, some countries have taken persistently biased positions that blocked the implementation of the two-State solution, aggravated tensions, and undermined international law and the authority of multilateral institutions. 

As New York Magazine observed, the postwar legal order established to prevent the atrocities of World War II has failed, and worse, the U.S., which nominally took on the responsibility of preserving that order, is abetting the killing and abandoning any pretense of adhering to the law.

Egypt’s Al-Ahram likewise argued that U.S. vetoes at the UN and ongoing military support for Israel have been major reasons the two-state process remains stalled.

The two-State solution concerns the bottom line of international justice and must not be undermined. Security cannot be zero-sum; no nation can build its safety upon another’s insecurity. Statehood is the inalienable right of the Palestinian people – no less than it is for Israelis – and there can be no double standards on this question.

Given the historical injustices endured by Palestinians, delay is indefensible and inaction inexcusable. On matters bearing on the future and destiny of the Palestinian people, no country should have a veto.

The Palestinian question has always been central to the Middle East issue. Achieving lasting peace between Palestinians and Israelis requires justice for the Palestinian people and the full implementation of the two-state solution. Only this can break the cycle of conflict and establish durable peace.

Gaza and the West Bank are inseparable parts of Palestinian territory. Any post-war governance or reconstruction arrangement must respect the will of the Palestinian people, uphold their legitimate national rights, and ensure that the principle of “Palestinians governing Palestine” is realized in practice. 

All parties should support the Gaza reconstruction plan endorsed by the emergency Arab summit  and the emergency ministerial meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and support the Palestinian Authority in exercising effective governance across all Palestinian territories, including Gaza and the West Bank.

The international call for implementing the two-State solution has reached an unprecedented level, reflecting the mainstream will of the international community. Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit said the recent wave of recognition “corrects a historical error that has persisted for years.”

The opportunity must be seized to forge a broader international consensus and a more unified position. On the basis of recognizing the State of Palestine, the international community should support Palestine’s bid for full UN membership, develop practical roadmaps to implementation, and reject unilateral measures that erode the two-state foundation.

The distance from recognizing the two-State solution to realizing it remains long and difficult. But history will ultimately bend toward justice, and the seeds of peace will break through the soil of hatred. The international community should muster greater resolve, work together to revive the political prospects for implementing the two-State solution, and strive for a comprehensive, just, and lasting settlement of the Palestinian question at an early date.

By He Yin, People’s Daily

The General Debate of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly concluded onon Sept. 29. Marking the 80th anniversary of the organization, this year’s theme – “Better together: 80 years and more for peace, development and human rights” – underscores the global aspiration for peace and development, fairness and justice, democracy and freedom.

In his speech at the General Debate of the 70th Session of the UN General Assembly in September 2015, Chinese President Xi Jinping put forward the idea of “common values of humanity” for the first time to the world.

“Peace, development, equality, justice, democracy and freedom are common values of all humankind and the lofty goals of the United Nations,” Xi said. “Yet these goals are far from being achieved; therefore we must continue our endeavors.”

Since then, Xi has on many occasions emphasized the importance of promoting the common values of humanity, advancing a series of new ideas and proposals that offer strong intellectual guidance for building a community with a shared future for humanity. 

Over the past decade, this vision has drawn strong appeal across cultural and national boundaries, establishing a broad consensus on core human values. As the world enters a new period of turbulence and transformation, marked by persistent global challenges, the need for common values becomes more urgent. Some countries remain obsessed with the law of the jungle and the practice of the strong bullying the weak, pursuing power politics and zero-sum competition, which have further exacerbated global instability and inequality.

In the face of profound changes unseen in a century and the pressing challenges of the time, the common values of humanity embrace the diversity of civilizations and respect the paths chosen by people of different countries. They reaffirm that peace and development are universal goals, fairness and justice are common ideals, and that democracy and freedom are collective aspirations. These principles provide essential moral guidance for addressing global challenges.

The growing international consensus reflects the strength and relevance of these values. As global challenges become increasingly complex, there is broad recognition that they require collective wisdom and coordinated action. Many argue that achieving world peace hinges on unity, cooperation, mutual understanding, and respect among nations. Others emphasize that only by deepening friendship and understanding can the international community achieve peace, stability, and development.

An increasing number of global voices have come to recognize that peace and development are the only viable path out of conflict and confrontation and the foundation of global security. Fairness and justice are essential to narrowing development disparities and protecting the rights and interests of the Global South, Meanwhile, democracy and freedom are prerequisites for enhancing mutual learning among civilizations and ensuring equal development for all. 

Facts have proven that only by upholding the right values can humanity pave the way for win-win cooperation and shared prosperity.

China is a firm advocate and active practitioner of the common values of humanity. Guided by the global vision of the Communist Party of China, the country has proposed the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilizations Initiative, and the Global Governance Initiative. It has been upholding true multilateralism, advancing the building of an open world economy, promoting greater democracy in international relations, facilitating exchanges and mutual learning among diverse civilizations, and working to make global governance fairer and more equitable. 

Through its proposals and actions, China has not only contributed its wisdom but also demonstrated its sense of mission as a responsible major country. These efforts have illuminated the bright prospects of the common values of humanity.

Committed to the future of humanity and the well-being of all people, China stands ready to work with the international community to firmly promote the common values of humanity and to advance the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.

By He Yin, People’s Daily

On Sept. 24, Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered video remarks at the United Nations Climate Summit held in New York, putting forward three proposals on advancing global climate governance to firm up confidence, live up to responsibilities, and deepen cooperation. He also announced China’s new Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

At this critical juncture in global climate governance, China’s vision and solutions exemplify the role of a responsible major country and significantly boost international confidence in advancing the climate agenda.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement, a pivotal year for countries to submit their new NDCs. At this important moment, China is determined to be a contributor to and doer in advancing global climate governance. 

In his remarks, Xi announced to the world that China will, by 2035, reduce economy-wide net greenhouse gas emissions by 7 to 10 percent from peak levels, striving to do better; increase the share of non-fossil fuels in total energy consumption to over 30 percent; expand the installed capacity of wind and solar power to over six times the 2020 levels, striving to bring the total to 3,600 gigawatts; scale up the total forest stock volume to over 24 billion cubic meters; make new energy vehicles the mainstream in the sales of new vehicles; expand the National Carbon Emissions Trading Market to cover major high-emission sectors; and basically establish a climate adaptive society.

These targets and measures represent China’s maximum efforts in setting goals consistent with the requirements of the Paris Agreement. They have quickly drawn international attention and broad commentary. Many observers regard the commitments as a landmark step and expect China to sustain momentum on climate action. Some argue that the move has reinvigorated global confidence in emissions reduction, and China’s clean energy boom will reshape the global economy. 

Overall, analysts believe that China is accelerating its green transition, has the capacity to meet its goals, and is injecting renewed confidence into global climate governance.

Climate change is a shared challenge to the common interests of all humanity. Effective response requires collective wisdom, mobilized resources, and concrete global action.

To advance global climate governance, the world must firm up confidence. Green and low-carbon transition is the trend of the times. From Eurasia to the Americas, from the African highlands to the Pacific island countries, a broad international consensus has formed around pursuing sustainable development and tackling climate change together.

Green transition is both the only path to address climate change and a new driver of economic and social development. Looking ahead, the international community should stay focused on the right direction, remain unwavering in confidence, unremitting in actions and unrelenting in intensity, and push for formulation and delivery on NDCs, with a view to providing more positive energy to the cooperation on global climate governance.

To advance global climate governance, the world must live up to responsibilities. There is only one Earth for humanity. Protecting the environment and promoting sustainable development is a shared responsibility of all countries. 

At present, achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement is challenged by insufficient implementation of NDCs, funding shortfalls, and delays in technology and capacity building. Fairness and equity should be upheld and the right to development of developing countries fully respected. The global green transition should serve to narrow rather than widen the North-South gap. Countries need to honor the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, whereby developed countries should take the lead in fulfilling emission reduction obligations and provide more financial and technological support to developing countries.

To advance global climate governance, the world must deepen cooperation. The world today faces not only deficits in development and in green transition, but also deficits in trust and in governance. To overcome these deficits, countries must join hands to deepen cooperation, pool strengths for green development, and address the challenges of climate governance, instead of creating obstacles in green development and cooperation. 

The world now faces a huge demand for green development. It is important that countries strengthen international coordination in green technologies and industries to address the shortfall in green production capacity and ensure free flow of quality green products globally, so that the benefits of green development can reach all corners of the world.

Addressing climate change is both an urgent and a long-term task. The trend of green and low-carbon transition is irreversible. By firming up confidence, living up to responsibilities, and deepening cooperation, all parties can work together to realize the beautiful vision of harmony between humanity and nature and safeguard the shared planet.