Beijing- A quick search on the Internet reveals a number of Western studies and articles that criticize the Chinese position denouncing the Israeli war in the Gaza Strip, despite the existing relations between Beijing and Tel Aviv.
Al Jazeera Net highlighted the official Chinese position towards Israeli policies after the “Al-Aqsa Flood” and the Gaza War, and monitored the scale and extent of Chinese popular sympathy for the Palestinians, their suffering and their struggle.
What does China’s official and media discourse towards Israel look like?
In China, there are only official media, and therefore the official discourse helps to guide and shape public opinion because there are no other alternative local media, and foreign media pages cannot be viewed in the country unless “VPN” applications are activated in China. in order to browse Google and news pages around the world.
Ding Long, professor of Arab-Chinese relations at Shanghai International Studies University, believes that Beijing has stood with the Palestinian people against the aggression and genocide of the people of the Gaza Strip, as well as against the serious humanitarian crisis, the deaths and injuries caused by Israeli forces. military operations in the Gaza Strip.
He told Al Jazeera Net that China’s political position on the Palestinian issue has not changed and has remained constant since day one. Beijing supports the Palestinian people in their cause to obtain their rights and establish an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital. two-state solution and has presented initiatives in international forums as a permanent member of the UN Security Council.
He pointed out that Beijing sent humanitarian aid to Gaza, held an emergency meeting to call for a ceasefire and find a solution to the current crisis, and made important contributions to the reunification of the Palestinian home. by organizing dialogues between the different Palestinian factions and the Beijing Agreement. was signed last July.
How do the Chinese interact with the Palestinians today?
Long believes that the Chinese people “became aware of the ugly face of Zionism because before the outbreak of war, there was sympathy among some intellectuals for Israel, which shows its bright face with development and technology, but this war changed Chinese public opinion. The majority in all categories now supports and sympathizes with the Palestinian people because they were subjected to ferocious aggression and genocide.
He adds that Chinese media coverage of events in Palestine has increased considerably and that some channels and the Chinese news agency have correspondents in Gaza, Israel, the Palestinian territories, Iraq, Iran and Lebanon.
Long says: “Beijing criticizes Washington for its double standards and political hypocrisy. For example, the United States makes mediation efforts, but provides political, military and economic support to the Israelis. »
What is the impact of the war in Gaza on Sino-Israeli relations?
Sino-Israeli political relations have been greatly affected by Beijing’s stance in favor of the Palestinian people, according to Long, who added that Israel is upset because China has not denounced what the Islamic Resistance Movement (IRM) Hamas) did during the “Al-Aqsa flood”. » but economic relations continue, according to his words.
For his part, Liu Bo, a Chinese journalist and political analyst interested in the Palestinian issue, says that Beijing supports the Palestinian people and has maintained diplomatic relations with Israel since the early 1990s, and that its position on both sides is not hasn’t changed since. the war against Gaza.
He confirms to Al Jazeera Net that China has strategic interests in the Middle East region and that it is trying to have a balanced position in this conflict, especially after its relations with Israel have strengthened, as there is a cooperation between them in the military, technical, agricultural and economic fields.
But at the same time, China is considered one of Israel’s most critical developing countries, according to Liu Bo. “It is enough for Beijing to recognize the legitimacy of the Palestinian armed resistance and consider what it is doing as a struggle, compared to the position of Western countries which see Israel carrying out operations to fight terrorism. »
What are China’s relations with Arab and developing countries in general?
Liu Bo believes that Beijing seeks to be a leader among developing countries and that supporting the Palestinian struggle gives it a solid moral foundation and strengthens its relations with Arab countries, because the position of these countries on other issues, such as of Taiwan, is important for China.
The political analyst talks about Israel’s efforts to defeat the Chinese position since the events of October 7, 2023 began, but China did not listen to Israeli history and continued to express its traditional and firm position, which irritated the Israeli side. .
Why does Chinese sympathy for the Palestinians increase as the war lasts?
The continuation of the war on Gaza will increase the Chinese people’s sympathy towards the Palestinians for many reasons, according to Liu Bo, including:
- The growing number of victims of the Israeli aggression against Gaza, the scenes of human suffering and destruction, the photos of Gaza children martyred or under the rubble of their homes, and the hunger suffered by the population of the Gaza Strip .
- China’s traditional good relations with the Palestinians and Arab countries in general.
- Some aspects of Chinese and Arab history are similar after the two world wars and the achievement of independence, and because the Chinese suffered from foreign intervention, this makes them sympathetic to the Palestinians.
- The Chinese began to follow what was written by Arab and Western writers and activists supporting the Palestinian cause in the United States and Europe, and what was published on social media, in addition to what was presented by the media traditional. All of this created a better situation. understanding of the Palestinian and Arab scene as a whole and the historical context of the conflict, and therefore many sympathize with the Palestinians.
- Chinese media are increasingly interested in the Palestinian issue and what is happening in the Middle East in general. This region is of strategic importance to Beijing, as it is a major exporter of oil and gas and has its own. This is the Belt and Road Initiative, launched 11 years ago, which makes it more interested in this region.
What is the level of Chinese awareness of the Palestinian question?
Liu Bo believes that Chinese awareness of the Palestinian issue can be divided into two levels:
- A class that has a general understanding of the problem and surrounding conditions. Due to the general public’s concern for his life and work, the Palestinian issue is one of the international issues for him, but at the same time he is aware of the continuation and development of events in general in Palestine.
- Another group follows international political issues more closely and provides detailed monitoring, and some of them have begun writing articles, stories and analyzes on the Palestinian issue.
This popular Chinese sympathy and the official position in favor of the struggle of the Palestinian people were reflected in an opinion poll carried out last April by the Institute for National Security Studies at Tel Aviv University, which showed that 54% of Israelis consider China a hostile country. and hostile towards them, while 15% consider it a friendly country. And 31% of them said, “I don’t know.”
What is the history of Sino-Israeli relations?
Ding Long does not deny the existence of a group of Chinese who support Israel on social networks, influenced by Western and American positions, “but they constitute a minority, because the majority supports the Palestinian people.”
Since 1992, diplomatic relations have been established between China and Israel. According to figures from the Israeli consulate in Shanghai, around twenty Israeli companies are present in the Chinese financial capital. According to figures from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the volume of trade between the two countries reached 23.4 billion dollars in 2023, and 16.34 billion dollars between January and September 2024.
The Chinese Ministry of Commerce indicated, in statements dated March 24, 2023, that Beijing is Israel’s second largest trading partner after the United States.
According to Hong Kong’s China Briefing report, released on October 11, 2023, Chinese investments in Israel in the years before the war included 449 deals worth $9.14 billion in technology and 8 deals in infrastructure worth $5.91 billion.
After the war, Israeli officials do not forget the announcement of the Chinese shipping companies “Coxo” and “Okol” to cease trade with Israel since the Houthis began their attacks in the Red Sea, considering this as a commercial boycott from Tel Aviv.
A study by the Institute for National Security Studies at Tel Aviv University last April indicated a relative decline in trade in 2023 compared to the years that preceded it.
According to reports last September, the China University of International Business and Economics, which opened a branch in Israel three years ago, closed its doors and Chinese professors returned to Beijing.