China says Hamas and Fatah express political will for reconciliation

BEIJING (Reuters) -Rival Palestinian groups Hamas and Fatah have expressed the political will to seek reconciliation through dialogue at unity talks in Beijing, China's foreign ministry said on Tuesday.

The two factions have failed to heal political disputes since Hamas fighters expelled Fatah from the Gaza Strip in a short war in 2007, and their talks took place against the backdrop of Israel's war on Hamas in Gaza.

"The Palestinian National Liberation Movement and Islamic Resistance Group representatives arrived in Beijing a few days ago for in-depth and candid dialogue," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told a regular briefing.

"They agreed to continue the course of talks to achieve the realisation of Palestinian solidarity and unity at an early date."

Lin said both sides had thanked Beijing for its efforts to "promote Palestinian internal unity and reached an agreement on further dialogue."

(Reporting by Laurie Chen; Writing by Bernard Orr; Editing by Timothy Heritage)