On December 16, 2008, Vice Foreign Minister He Yafei attended the ministerial meeting of the UN Security Council on the Middle East issue in UN headquarters, New York. Resolution 1850 on the Middle East which was adopted at the meeting reiterated Security Council's support for the vision of peaceful coexistence between Palestine and Israel and their efforts of concluding a peace treaty by negotiations and welcome for the Quartet's consideration of an international conference on the Middle East in Moscow in 2009 in order to coordinate the efforts of all parties concerned to advance the peace process.

Addressing the meeting, He pointed out that Palestine and Israel had engaged in difficult political negotiations since the launch of Annapolis process last November, but regrettably, the negotiations had failed to achieve major breakthroughs within the set timetable. At present, it is a challenge faced by the entire international community to ensure the negotiations move forward and achieve substantive progress as soon as possible. Resolution 1850 adopted by the Security Council will play a positive role in taking up that common challenge.

Political talks represent the sole correct path towards enduring peace in the Middle East. China hopes Palestine and Israel, under the new circumstances, resume the momentum of negotiations as soon as possible and attain a two-State solution at an early date on the basis of the relevant UN resolutions and the land-for-peace principle.

Both Palestine and Israel should implement their respective obligations in earnest and refrain from steps that could undermine mutual trust or prejudge the outcome of the negotiations. The international community should continue to provide Palestine with various assistances to help it strengthen capacity building and accelerate economic growth. He also appealed to the Quartet to intensify diplomatic efforts and further enhance communications and coordination with the Security Council. He finally stressed that China stands ready to make joint efforts with the international community to play a constructive role in appropriately settling the Middle East issue at an early date and achieve comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the region.

Also present at the meeting were the US Secretary of State Rice, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov, British Foreign Secretary Miliband and representatives of other Security Council members. Addressing the meeting, many countries expressed welcome for the resolution of the Security Council on the Middle East, emphasized the irreversibility of the Annapolis process and called on Palestine and Israel to continue with negotiations and intensify efforts to achieve progress as soon as possible. On December 15, the Quartet on the Middle East held a meeting in New York and issued a statement.

He Yafei also attended the ministerial meeting on Gulf security held on the same day. Delegates of the six-country group on the Iranian nuclear issue and part of Gulf/ Middle East/ Arab countries participated in the meeting and discussed Iran's nuclear program and other relevant regional problems. He elaborated China's principled position on solving the Iranian nuclear issue peacefully through negotiations and stressed that China hopes related parties increase diplomatic efforts, think creatively and show necessary flexibility in order to re-launch negotiations at the earliest date possible.