BEIJING -- Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message to a meeting held by the United Nations (UN) on Tuesday to observe the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.

In his message, Xi pointed out that the Palestinian issue, as a root problem in the Middle East, bears on regional peace and stability, on international equity and justice, and on human conscience and morality.

To realize peaceful coexistence as neighbors between Palestine and Israel is not only a dream of the Palestinian and Israeli people for generations, but also a sincere hope of all nations in the region as well as the international community, Xi said.

He suggested that the international community adhere to the right direction of the two-state solution and make efforts to promote the peace process in the Middle East on the basis of international consensuses such as relevant UN resolutions and the "land for peace" principle.

Under current circumstances, he added, the international community should pay more attention to the grave challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic to Palestine and help the Palestinian people fight against the coronavirus disease.

Stressing that China attaches great importance to the Palestinian issue, Xi said his country always upholds international justice and morality, and supports the just cause of the Palestinian people to restore the legitimate rights of their nation as well as efforts conducive to the peaceful settlement of the Palestinian issue.

Since the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak, China has provided multiple batches of anti-epidemic assistance to Palestine through multilateral and bilateral channels, Xi said, adding that as a good friend of Palestine, China will continue to offer as much assistance as its capacity allows.

As a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a responsible major country, China is ready to continue its work with the international community to make unremitting efforts for an early settlement of the Palestinian issue with a comprehensive, just and permanent solution, and make positive contributions to an early realization of peace, stability and development in the Middle East region, Xi said.