Chinese President Xi Jinping said Beijing strongly supports the Palestinian nation's just cause, which aims to restore their legitimate national rights while Palestinians have struggled against the Israeli occupation regime for decades.

Xi made the remarks during a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday in the Saudi capital Riyadh on the sidelines of the first China-Arab states summit and a meeting with leaders of the six-member Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Xi stressed that China and Palestine have a long-standing friendship and have trusted and supported each other for over half a century.

“China and Palestine enjoy a time-honoured friendship, and the friendship between our peoples is deeply rooted in our hearts. For more than half a century we have always trusted and supported each other. As the Chinese Communist Party leads the people in realizing Chinese-style modernization, it will remain committed to upholding world peace, promoting common development, upholding international fairness and justice, and creating a community with a common future for the Building people,” said the Chinese President.

“Regardless of how the international and regional situation may change, China firmly supports the righteous cause of the Palestinian people and will always stand by them,” he said. For his part, Abbas thanked China for its unwavering support of the Palestinian people. “The Palestinian nation is proud of our relationship with the Chinese people. As a major country with great influence in the world, China has always firmly supported the Palestinian people. I want to convey to you and all Chinese people the sincere gratitude of the Palestinian people,” he said.

“We firmly support the one-China principle and believe that China’s position on all international occasions is fair. That is why we are ready to stand firm with China on all issues. There is no doubt about that,” said the Palestinian President. Xi arrived in Riyadh on Wednesday afternoon for a three-day visit focused mostly on energy ties as Beijing seeks to further boost its economy and Saudi Arabia looks to expand alliances with the east amid rising tensions with the United States.

Arab leaders gathering in Riyadh include Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Tunisian President Kais Saied, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Sudan’s de facto leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani, Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch and Lebanese Interim Prime Minister Najib Mikati also attended.