Israel should reassess its relations with China
Politically, China has never been Israel’s friend, and although it is a vast market, it is also a rival of the US
By EFRAIM INBAR
AUGUST 3, 2023
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Chinese President Xi Jinping (right) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shake hands ahead of their talks at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on March 21, 2017. Photo: AFP / Etienne Oliveau / Pool
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced plans to travel to China, which has been encouraging such a visit. Netanyahu was responsible for expanding bilateral relations and helped open the hefty Chinese market for imports from Israel.
A powerhouse in the international arena, China today desires a higher profile in the Middle East and is particularly interested in Israeli technology.
While the visit is now in doubt because of Netanyahu’s health issues, it is time to reassess Jerusalem’s ties with Beijing. Although China is a vast market, it is also a rival of the United States.
The main characteristic of the contemporary international arena is the competition between the US and China. It is hard to imagine that Israel will not stand with the US in this struggle between the leader of the democratic world and a dictatorial ascending power. Firm support for the US, the State of Israel’s most important ally, requires Israel to show some reservation toward China.
Moreover, Beijing is highly unlikely to replace Washington as a strategic ally.
It is noteworthy that the US and European countries are moving toward reducing political and economic relations with China. There are efforts to minimize imports from China, especially products where dependence on China becomes a national-security problem.
Measures are also being taken to reduce investments from China. The West is increasingly alert to preventing Chinese industrial and technological espionage. Israel is also going in this direction, mainly due to pressure from Washington.
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Therefore, it is advisable to reconsider the trip to China. First, it is seen by many as defiance against US President Joe Biden, who has yet to send an invitation to Netanyahu to visit the White House – eight months after becoming prime minister again. The Biden administration disagrees with the Israeli government on a number of issues, especially on Iran, settlements, and legal reform.
It is undesirable to exacerbate tensions with the US over a non-existential issue for the State of Israel. Moreover, the animosity toward China is shared by both the Democratic and Republican parties in the US. Indeed, the policy toward China is one of the few issues on which the polarized American political system agrees. A visit to China can wait.
In addition, Israel is currently under criticism for its policy toward Ukraine, with Western countries expecting it to lend better support to Kiev in its war against Russia. Even if Jerusalem’s cautious policy toward Kiev makes sense, it is not wise for Israel to be portrayed as deviating in its foreign policy from the Western democratic camp because the Israeli prime minister visits China.
A trip might negatively affect the I2U2 project that links India to the Middle East and the Mediterranean via the United Arab Emirates and Israel. While presented as an economic bridge, it has political and strategic value in strengthening the Abraham Accords. Moreover, it could be seen as an Indian alternative to the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative.
Ties with Indo-Pacific
Indeed, Israel should also consider its relations with the countries of the Indo-Pacific region, the main arena for the American-Chinese contest of power. Because of Beijing’s aggressive policy in the area, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Singapore share a heightened threat perception of China.
Israel has extensive economic relations in the Asian zone and essential cooperation in national security. Israel must be careful not to spoil relationships built with great effort because of the desire to increase sales of Israeli products to the Chinese market.
There are many questions about the strength of the Chinese economy after the pandemic, with the economic growth rate lower than expected. The Chinese economy suffers from structural problems such as heavy export dependence, high state and corporate debt levels, significant financial disparities between regions within China, ecological challenges, and an aging population.
Of course, the biggest problem in the economy is the vast state ownership of companies and government regulation. All this does not bode well for the Chinese market.
Politically, China has never been Israel’s friend. Beijing’s voting patterns at the UN and international institutions are hostile.
In March 2021, China signed with Iran – a bitter enemy of Israel – a strategic agreement pledging significant Chinese investments in exchange for oil supplies for 25 years. The agreement’s text was not published, but its very signing helped Tehran ease the economic isolation imposed by the US and its allies.
In March, China mediated an agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran, strengthening the Islamic Republic’s position in the region.
China is also a permanent supporter of the Palestinians. In December 2022, China voted in favor of the resolution at the UN General Assembly that called on the International Court of Justice to advise on the consequences of the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories. It also signed a “strategic partnership” agreement with the Palestinian Authority in June.
China also shares responsibility for the proliferation of missile and nuclear technology in the Middle East. It is hard to believe that the mischievous North Korean role in transferring destabilizing technologies to Iran and Syria happened without China looking the other way.
Why should Israel grant China an achievement in its quest for a higher profile in the Middle East? Moreover, in light of the problematic Chinese policy toward Israel, a re-evaluation is needed on Israel’s position toward Taiwan – a democratic and prosperous country. Perhaps it is time to send a signal to China that there is a price for the negative Chinese attitude toward Israel.
Israel has no choice but to support the US openly and firmly in the global struggle. That is required even if it sells less to China. Nevertheless, if Netanyahu still thinks the trip to China is important, he should add more capital cities in Asia to his journey.
Professor Efraim Inbar is president of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security (JISS).
