China: Israeli settlement \"major obstacle\" for peace talks

China underlined that the Israeli settlement is the major obstacle for the resumption of Palestine-Israel peace talks, appealing to Israel to immediately cease its settlement activities and create conditions to break stalement. \"The Israeli settlement is the direct cause resulting in the stalement of the Palestine and Israel peace talks. It is also the major obstacle for the resumption of the peace talks,\" said Wang Min, deputy permanent representative of the Chinese Mission to the UN, when addressing a monthly Security Council open date on Middle East. \"China is against the Israeli construction of settlement in occupied Palestine territory. We appeal to Israel to immediately cease its settlement activities and help create conditions for the mutual trust between the two parties and break the stalement of the peace talks,\" Wang told the Council. Wang said that the protracted and unsettled Middle East issue is \"the root cause\" blocking the peace and development in the Middle East. It also affects world peace and stability, he said. Stressing that the Middle East issue is now \"at a crucial crossroad,\" Wang said that China is deeply concerned with the current state of the peace talks between Palestine and Israel. He also said that China welcomes the internal reconciliation among Palestinian parties, expressing the hope that they take this as a basis, enhance its internal unity and cooperation, and play an active role to move the Middle East process forward.