¡¡¡¡GAZA, Nov. 13 (Xinhuanet) -- Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat met on Wednesday with Chinese envoy to the Middle East Wang Shiji in the West Bank city of Ramallah as part of the efforts that the Chinese leadership exerts to push forward the stalled peace process.

¡¡¡¡Palestinian National Authority (PNA) officials said that both Arafat and Wang have discussed in depth the current situation in the Middle East, and ways of reinforcing bilateral relations between China and the PNA.

¡¡¡¡Wang told reporters after the meeting that the official Chinese position on Middle East issues is clear -- that is "to find a permanent, just and comprehensive solution to the crisis in the Middle East through peaceful negotiations based on the international legitimacy to achieve coexistence between the two sides."

¡¡¡¡He stressed that the peaceful coexistence can be represented in "stopping violence and extremism, Israel's withdrawal from the Palestinian territories, and improving the humanitarian situation for the Palestinians who suffer from hard living conditions."

¡¡¡¡Wang, former Chinese Ambassador to Jordan, Iran and Bahrain, said that the Mideast area is undergoing a sever deterioration, and there are difficulties to resume the peace talks.

¡¡¡¡The Chinese envoy arrived in Jerusalem Tuesday morning for a three-day visit to Israel and Palestine, the last leg of Wang's Mideast mission, which has also brought him to Egypt, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan. Enditem