Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, and Swiss Federal Councillor and Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis meet the press in Bellinzona, Switzerland, Oct. 10, 2025. (Xinhua/Lian Yi)

BELLINZONA, Switzerland, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday outlined here China's positions on the first-phase ceasefire and prisoner swap agreement reached between Israel and Hamas, during a joint press conference with Swiss Federal Councillor and Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that China welcomes all efforts aimed at restoring peace and saving lives, adding that the humanitarian disaster in Gaza is a stain on the 21st century and that human conscience must be awakened.

The international community should work together to achieve a genuine, comprehensive and lasting ceasefire, effectively alleviate the humanitarian crisis, and restore stability in the region, Wang said.

The principle of "the Palestinians governing Palestine," a consensus reached by the international community, must be upheld, and any arrangements regarding Gaza's future should respect the will of the Palestinian people, Wang said.

The long-term direction of the two-state solution must remain unwavering, as only an independent Palestinian state that secures its legitimate national rights can eliminate historical injustices and the roots of violence, thereby achieving lasting peaceful coexistence between Israel and Palestine, Wang added.

Wang said China is willing to continue working with the international community, including Switzerland, to make unremitting efforts for lasting peace and security in the Middle East. ■

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, and Swiss Federal Councillor and Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis (not in the picture) meet the press in Bellinzona, Switzerland, Oct. 10, 2025. (Xinhua/Lian Yi)