China is ready to take on a more active role in Middle East politics and enhance partnership with the region, including Jordan, Chinese Ambassador to Amman Luo Xingwu announced on Thursday.

At a press conference yesterday, the envoy said Beijing has put forward four-point initiative for peace in the Middle East.

The move was taken after Chinese Deputy Prime Minister and State Councillor Tang Jiaxuan's Dec.26-29 visit to Palestine and Israel, where he met senior officials from both sides.

In the initiative, China urges trust-building measures between the Palestinians and the Israelis, a halt to attacks against Israeli civilians, facilitation of smooth Palestinian elections and respect for the ensuing Palestinian government, the resumption of peace talks, and an improvement in the living conditions of the Palestinian people.

The ambassador announced that his country has decided to extend urgent assistance of $1.5 million, in addition to a $5 million grant to the Palestinians.

Luo told reporters that as the peace process moves forward, China will continue to contribute to Palestinian nation building by offering assistance and administrative expertise to the leadership and expects that stability in the conflict zone would attract Chinese investors to initiate projects in Palestine.

The Chinese peace initiative stresses the need to reactivate the roadmap that envisions an independent Palestinian state, and urges concerned parties to take simultaneous steps to implement the relevant UN resolutions, underlining its support for the principle of land for peace.

Peace efforts should also be activated on the Syrian and Lebanese tracks, Beijing said, urging both Arab countries and Israel to resume talks “as soon as possible.”

In the fourth point of the initiative, China highlights the need “to maximise the role of the international community in pushing forward the peace process... and taking tangible and effective steps to ensure the success of the Palestinian election and support the rebuilding of the Palestinian economy.”

The Chinese ambassador said that his country is sending a delegation to take part in monitoring the Jan. 9 elections for a successor for late Palestinian President Yasser Arafat.

Beijing's initiative favours an international conference on Mideast peace under the auspices of the UN Security Council.

Asked about China's stand on the proposed London conference on Middle East in March, regarding which the Palestinians and the Israelis have made reservations, Luo said China “supports any efforts that would push the peace process forward.”

On Sino-Jordanian ties, the envoy said Amman and Beijing have “distinguished” relations that were enhanced by His Majesty King Abdullah's visit to China in July.

He announced that by the end of November last year, the trade volume between the two countries went up by 36.5 per cent to reach $650 million, compared to the same period last year.