China–Palestine relations, also referred to as Sino–Palestinian relations, encompasses the long bilateral relationship between China and Palestine dating back from the early years of the Cold War. During the era of Mao Zedong, China's foreign policy was in support of Third World national liberation movements. In the post-Mao era, China continued to support the Palestinian Liberation Organization in international forums. China recognized the State of Palestine in 1988. Since 1992, China also established formal diplomatic relations with Israel and has since maintained a cordial relationship with both entities. Palestinian leaders Yasser Arafat and Mahmoud Abbas have both visited China in official capacities, and relations between the two countries has been considered as cordial. China does not consider Hamas ruling the Gaza Strip as a terrorist organization, and officially supports the creation of a "sovereign and independent Palestinian state" based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. History After the victory of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in the Chinese Civil War in 1949, the People's Republic of China (PRC) was proclaimed under CCP chairman Mao Zedong. The PRC recognized the State of Israel, but during the 1950s and 1960s, the PRC began to support the Arabs and Palestinians. During the 1960s the PRC had strongly supported the destruction of Israel and its replacement with a Palestinian Arab State. Mao Zedong linked the existence of Israel to Taiwan, and described them as "bases of imperialism in Asia." The PRC strongly supported Yasser Arafat and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). China had also established close relations with the Fatah party as well. The Chinese Communist Party under Chairman Mao Zedong supported Palestinian armed groups such as the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) as well as the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP). The Palestinian Liberation Organization established a diplomatic office in China in May 1965. After the PRC was admitted to the United Nations as a member in 1971, it continued to support the Palestinian cause. An embassy of the PLO was opened in Beijing during the summer of 1974. The PRC supported UN General Assembly Resolution 3379 which had equated Zionism with racism in 1975. The resolution, however, was later revoked with Resolution 4686 in 1991, a vote for which China was absent. After the death of Mao Zedong in 1976 a new Chinese Communist Party leadership came to power. Deng Xiaoping reduced