China on death of Nasrallah: 'Might cannot replace justice'

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has indirectly condemned the escalation between Israel and the Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah militia in his speech at the United Nations General Debate.

"Fighting has started in Lebanon again, but might cannot replace justice," Wang said in New York just hours after the confirmation of the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in an Israeli airstrike. He did not explicitly mention Israel.

"Palestine's long held aspiration to establish an independent state should not be shunned anymore, and the historical injustice suffered by the Palestinian people should not be ignored anymore," Wang said.

There is a need for a ceasefire in Gaza and work towards a two-state solution, he said. "China has always been a staunch supporter of the just cause of the Palestinian people to regain their legitimate national rights, and a staunch supporter of Palestine's full UN membership, we have recently helped to bring about breakthroughs in intra-Palestine reconciliation," Wang said.

Wang was referring to a meeting in Beijing in July when a total of 14 Palestinian groups, including bitter rivals Hamas and Fatah, reportedly signed a declaration to strengthen Palestinian unity with the aim of forming a unity government.