BEIJING, May 17 (Reuters) – China on Tuesday urged Hamas, an Islamic militant group sworn to Israel’s destruction, to recognise the Jewish state and return to peace talks.

Hamas, which was elected to power in January, is regarded as a terrorist group by the United States, the European Union and Israel, which have severed ties with the Palestinian government, cutting off hundreds of millions of dollars in aid.

Zhai Jun, director-general of West Asian and North African Affairs of China’s Foreign Ministry, told reporters on Wednesday it respected the people’s choice of Hamas, even though it did not agree with its policies.

“If you don’t recognise a democratically elected government, what kind of democracy is that?” Zhai said after a briefing on the second ministerial meeting of the Sino-Arabic Cooperation Forum which begins later this month in Beijing.

“Our minister Li (Zhaoxing) says democracy is a beautiful mother which gives birth to an ugly child. We don’t necessarily agree with Hamas policies, but we respect the people’s choice.

“On this basis, we can urge the Hamas government to respect agreements previously signed with Israel, to recognise Israel and to return to talks.”

“On this basis, we can urge the Hamas government to respect agreements previously signed with Israel, to recognise Israel and to return to talks.”

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas urged Hamas on Monday to renounce violence and urged Israel to talk peace with him, cautioning that a unilateral Israeli plan for the West Bank would fuel extremism.

Hamas defeated Abbas’s Fatah movement in January polls and took office in March. It has ruled out peace talks.

In a speech in the southern Gaza town of Rafah after Abbas’s address, Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said there would be no change in Hamas’s stance towards Israel.

Zhai said China had invited the Palestinians to the Sino-Arabic forum.

“China has been playing a constructive role in the Middle East, in all its problems,” Zhai said.

“…We have not felt that our role, or our friendly cooperative relations with these countries, has encountered pressure or opposition from other countries.”