¡¡¡¡BEIJING, Feb. 18 (Xinhuanet)-- Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said here Tuesday that China appreciates and respects the positive measures taken by Israel and Palestine in order to end violence and resume negotiations.

¡¡¡¡Zhang said that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict appears to have subsided recently thanks to the measures taken by the two sides, including political contacts and Palestinian President Yasser Arafat's decision to appoint a prime minister.

¡¡¡¡China hopes that the two sides will continue to take active and effective measures to eliminate interference and abandon the vicious cycle of tit-for-tat violence so as to create favorable conditions for resuming peace talks at an early date, Zhang said. Enditem