KUALA LUMPUR -- China and Malaysia oppose the forced displacement of the people of Gaza, calling for an independent state of Palestine based on the two-state solution.

The two countries made the announcement on Thursday in a joint statement released in the context of Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to Malaysia.

The two sides stressed that Gaza belongs to the Palestinian people and it is an inalienable part of the territory of Palestine, said the statement.

Both sides emphasized that "the Palestinians governing Palestine" is an important principle that must be upheld in the post-conflict governance of Gaza, and opposed the forced displacement of the people of Gaza, it said.

Both sides called for an independent state of Palestine based on the two-state solution and for Palestine's full UN membership.