(Communicated by the Office of the President)

President Shimon Peres and the Foreign Minister of the People's Republic of China, Mr. Wang Yi, met (Thursday, 19 December 2013) at the President's Residence in Jerusalem and delivered joint statements to the press. During the meeting they discussed the Iranian nuclear threat, the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians and the strengthening of strategic relations between Israel and China. 

President Peres began the statements by welcoming his guest and said, "It is a pleasure and a privilege to have you here in Jerusalem. I thank you for the productive exchange we just had. Your visit here today represents the growing and strengthening relations between our two countries."

President Peres addressed the threat of a nuclear Iran and said, "Israel faces not only grave threats but also great opportunities. The threat of a nuclear Iran must be met. The chance for peace must not be ignored. Peace is the greatest chance, Iran the gravest problem. The world, in which China is a major player, should help the Iranian people to divorce themselves from the policies of threats and hostilities to prevent her from acquiring nuclear capability and serving as a center of terror. We prefer the diplomatic solution rather than military means.

A united stand of the global community can bring peace and stability and relieve all of us from the dark clouds of terror and destruction. We must maintain the diplomatic pressure; ensure the sanctions regime remains effective to force Iran to comply with the inspections and limitations which the international community demands from them.  We do not view the Iranian people as our enemy, our enemies are the policies and ideology driving the current Iranian regime."

President Peres also addressed the negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians and said, "While the efforts to prevent Iran from realizing its nuclear ambitions are at a crucial junction we also stand at a crossroads in the effort for peace. Peace is our greatest desire. We appreciate China's constructive support in the efforts to bring peace between us and the Palestinians, to bring peace to the Middle East and we thank you for it. As President Xi outlined in his address, two states must be the basis for the solution and can only be reached by negotiations between the two sides. Those negotiations are ongoing. We must navigate the path to a successful conclusion. It is Israel and the Palestinians who must walk that path directly while enjoying the support of the international community.

Your visit here and your clear support for peace strengthen those working for a peaceful solution. The people of Israel want peace, we want to live as good neighbors with the Palestinians and the rest of the Arab world."

Foreign Minister Wang Yi addressed the Iranian nuclear threat and said, "We talked about Iran and I told Mr. President that with joint efforts of the various parties, the P5+1 and Iran reached an important, also preliminary, agreement marking the first step towards the settlement of the Iranian nuclear issue. What is important now is for all the parties concerned, Iran included, to fully comply with their respective obligations and responsibilities prescribed in this deal and for all the parties to work together to uphold the international non-proliferation regime and for promoting peace in the Middle East region."

Foreign Minister Wang Yi reflected on President Peres' words on the peace process and said, "Just now he mentioned that the peace process in the Middle East has come to a crossroads and he shared with me his strong desire for peace in the Middle East and for peace between Israel and Palestine. We strongly support your desire for peace. Mr. President told us through his own experiences that peace needs to be made through taking initiative, it will not happen on its own."

The Chinese Foreign Minister added that, "Peace needs to be won with hard work, rather than waiting, it won't happen on its own. I told the president that before I came here I went to the top of the Mount of Olives and saw the Old City. In these two kilometers I saw that it is home to a large number of holy sites of civilizations and religions. We hope and believe that the various religions and civilizations will be able to integrate rather than clash, learn from and exchange with each other rather than live in mutual estrangement. We believe this day will eventually come."