Visiting Chinese Mideast envoy Wang Shijie on Monday in Cairo called for activating the derailed roadmap peace plan.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting with Arab League chief Amr Moussa, Wang said that although the roadmap may not be perfect, it did lay foundation for resuming talks between the Palestinians and Israel.

"At present, there are obstacles in putting the plan into effect, and at the same time, Israel has put forth a unilateral plan for its withdrawal from the Gaza Strip," Wang said.

"China believes that the promised pullback should be the first step which could be followed by other steps, including a withdrawal from the West Bank," he said.

"The Palestine issue is the core of the Mideast issue, and China hopes that a Palestinian state could be established at an early date, and the legitimate rights of the Palestinians could be restored quickly," he said.

He also said that Lebanon and Syria could not be excluded from the peace process, stressing that China is ready to work with Egypt and the Arab League to push forward the peace process.

Wang, who arrived here Sunday evening for a four-day visit to Egypt, will then travel to Lebanon and Israel.