Time: How the Chinese relations with Israel detoured to the worse
Time magazine talked in a report about the path that China-Israel relations have taken since before and after the October 7, 2023, attack, reaching a bad stage of relations.
In March 2023, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a trip to visit President Xi Jinping in China, instead of going to Washington.
This is after US President Joe Biden announced that he would not invite him to Washington, given Netanyahu’s work at the time on judicial amendments.
For Israel, the trip served as a reminder to Washington that there are other great powers looking to deepen their relations with them.
As for China, it was an opportunity to raise the costs of the US shift away from the Middle East toward Asia by signaling that Beijing could fill some of the vacuum, the report said, which also noted that Netanyahu’s ploy worked, as Biden in September reversed the decision not to visit the White House.
But this dynamic was turned upside down in the wake of the October 7 attack, because during the current moment of tension in the relationship between Netanyahu and Biden, China-Israel relations won’t be an effective pressure tool for Netanyahu, because China has other plans.
Beijing distanced itself from Israel, amid notable international criticism of its bombing of the Gaza Strip, according to the report, which stressed that the move resonates well in most parts of the world, and represents positions in return for Washington’s diplomatic and military support for Israel.
This approach also supported China’s longer-term goal of significantly challenging its reputation as a trading player and the United States’ reputation as a diplomatic heavyweight in the Middle East.
China has sought more opportunities to position itself as an alternative to the US-led international order since it succeeded in facilitating the restoration of relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia last spring.
Throughout the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Beijing has tried to demonstrate its diplomatic strength, including by publishing the peace plan, hosting reconciliation talks between the Palestinian Authority and Hamas, and holding summits with Arab and Muslim foreign ministers aimed at ending the fighting.
Also, China has clearly expressed support for the Palestinian cause in international forums, in order to exploit the growing rift between the United States and key global actors.
Beijing’s approach to the war between Israel and Hamas has provoked a backlash from Israel.
About a third of Israelis have reported a negative change in their perception of China since October 7, and some private sector leaders have called for severe financial consequences, such as a temporary ban on Chinese companies from operating in Israeli ports.
The Israeli government expressed deep disappointment with Chinese officials and took measures that undermined relations, including sending a parliamentary delegation to Taiwan.
