China says Israel should stop its 'forced establishment' of West Bank settlements

BEIJING, Oct 16 (Reuters) - Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has told Israeli President Isaac Herzog that Israel should stop and reverse its "forced establishment" of West Bank settlements.

China has consistently held that the Palestinian question is the greatest historical injustice of this century, Wang told Herzog during a meeting in Azerbaijan, according to a statement by the Chinese foreign ministry on Friday.

Herzog said in a post on X that the meeting, which took place on Thursday, focused on "relations between our countries and the situation in the Middle East". His office declined to comment when asked about their discussions on the West Bank or the Palestinians.

• Wang said that promoting peace and reconciliation in the region is the "cornerstone" of China's Middle East policy

• China believes that the "two-state solution" is the right path to a resolution and the immediate priority is to fully open access to the Gaza Strip so a humanitarian "catastrophe" is not allowed to spread, Wang added

• China is willing to work with the international community to push all parties to return to dialogue and consultation as soon as possible and seek a political settlement of the conflict, Wang said

• China has long been a supporter of the Palestinian cause and also has close ties with Israel's main regional foe, Iran

(Reporting by Beijing newsroom; Editing by Thomas Derpinghaus and Edwina Gibbs)