GAZA CITY, April 4, 2006 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – Palestinian Foreign Minister Mahmoud al-Zahar announced on Tuesday, April 4, plans to visit China and a number of Asian countries in the coming days, in the first slap to a US-led campaign to isolate the Hamas-led Palestinian government.

"We will visit countries of East Asia, and China will be the first country we will visit in that region," Zahar told a joint press conference with Yang Wei Guo, China's representative to the Palestinian Authority, Reuters reported.

"I have spoken to the ambassador and they are ready to receive a Palestinian delegation any time."

Zahar said the visit is probably to take place in late May during a tour in the region to attend an international conference, but without giving further details.

The top diplomat is due to make his first foreign tour since assuming office in the coming days with a visit to Arab countries, beginning with Egypt, his office said.

The new government has already received invitations to South Africa and Malaysia although no dates have been set.

A few hours after the government was sworn in on March 29, the US ordered its diplomats and contractors to cut off contacts with the new ministers while Canada decided to suspend aid and contacts with the Palestinian Authority.

Guo reiterated his country's unwavering support for the Palestinian cause.

"We have explained the Chinese position that supports the Palestinian people in their just struggle to regain their national rights and to regain occupied land."

China, which enjoys strong ties with Israel, has long supported Palestinian calls for an independent state.

The visit announcement drew immediate Israeli criticism.

Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev argued that the international community should isolate the new government.

"We would be concerned about giving recognition and legitimacy to an unreformed Hamas, which would be sending the wrong message and could erode any chance there is for Hamas to alter its position and reform."

Israel has frozen the monthly transfers of tax revenues it collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority, worth around $50 million.

Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniya has asserted that his government could establish peace in stages with Israel if the latter withdraws to its 1967 borders and recognizes the inalienable rights of the Palestinians.

"We do not have any feelings of animosity toward Jews. We do not wish to throw them into the sea," he told the Washington Post on Sunday, February 26.

"All we seek is to be given our land back, not to harm anybody."