The diplomacy dance: China and the Israel-Hamas war

By: Laila Ahmed

Introduction:

The ongoing conflicts in Gaza, Sudan, and  Ukraine frequently serve as a kind of shorthand for international relations. Furthermore, the United States continues to be the dominating superpower in spite of threats from authoritarian power actors like China, Iran, and Russia, which means it must continue to engage in diplomatic relations. With the United States’ tenuous, ambiguous, and occasionally confrontational relations with “the other side” and its global ramifications, how does that diplomatic dance appear today?

Post Hamas 7 October attacks on Israel, one can see how Beijing has made an effort to keep its position in the Israel-Palestine conflict largely neutral despite the long history that both China and Palestine share together as at the same time China is also known to have made significant investments in Israel.

But it should be noted that trade and technological ties did not appear to influence China’s reaction to the Hamas attack. Indeed, after Israel retaliated with strikes on Gaza, China called for a cease-fire and expressed sympathy for the Palestinians. China promptly took the side of the Palestinians, declined to denounce the murderous acts of Hamas, and showed no sympathy for Israel. Therefore, there is a chance that the recent hostilities between China and Israel over the Israel-Hamas crisis will only get worse.

China’s response to the recent events in Palestine

The surprising attack on Israel by Hamas on October 7, which claimed the lives of 1,200 Israelis, including hundreds of civilians, stunned the Middle East and the rest of the globe. China was not among the several nations who denounced the attack.  Beijing urged everyone to “remain calm and exercise restraint” instead.

Moreover, China has not denounced the attack on Israel by Hamas but at the same time it has vehemently denounced attacks against people. It has strongly denounced Israel’s reaction to the Hamas strike. Furthermore, China has stated that the absence of a two-state solution is the true core of the issue, and that’s where the emphasis and resources should be directed. So that’s where China is.[1]

Indeed, China’s reaction to the present Israel-Hamas crisis was expected; Beijing’s remarks fall within a pattern of Chinese foreign policy in the Middle East and beyond, where Beijing shows support for Palestine in an effort to gain favour with the Arab and Muslim communities. In light of this, China’s reluctance to call out Hamas and its attempts to project a pro-Palestinian neutrality are merely following the trend.

China, which refrained from denouncing Hamas, came to be identified with the coalition of nations that back the organization, including Syria, Iran, and Russia. China and Russia vetoed American proposals in the UN Security Council and the UN General Assembly that demanded that Hamas be condemned. Historically, Israel has called attention to areas of cooperation while resolving issues behind the scenes, avoiding openly challenging China’s Middle East policies. It is crucial to remember that Beijing is not expected to end the crisis by Israel. However, it still wants China to show compassion and support.[2]

Although, China’s fierce opposition to Israel over the Palestine policy has become less intense.  Nonetheless, policies in favour of Palestine continue to exist because of this historical background. China, a supporter of a two-state solution, claims that full assistance should be given to the Palestinian people’s national rights movement.^[3]

Signs of Chinese explicit support to Palestine:

China has a long history of diplomatic relations with Palestine that are closely linked to its Middle East policies as a whole. Although China only recognized Palestine formally in 1988, bilateral contacts had already begun in 1965. The Palestine Liberation Organisation established a representative office in China in that same year; it became an embassy in 1974.  China received Palestinian leaders during these years, most notably Yasser Arafat, and made it clear that China backed Palestine’s struggle during the visits. Comparing Israel to Taiwan, Mao Zedong himself called it one of the foundations of imperialism in the area.[4]

Although, China no longer opposes Israel with such a ferocious Palestine policy. Still, because of this historical context, policies that support Palestine remain. China, a proponent of a two-state solution, asserts that the Palestinian people’s struggle for national rights deserves all-out support. Worth mentioning that in 2023, the first Arab leader to visit China this year was the Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas who paid a visit to Beijing in June as a show of solidarity from China. It was revealed during the visit that China and Palestine had formed a strategic relationship.

Chinese President Xi Jinping explicitly endorsed Palestine in his opening remarks at the Arab States-China Summit, which took place in Saudi Arabia in December 2022. Chinese support for an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital was expressed by Xi during his speech.[5]

Beijing has continuously pushed for a two-state solution as a peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian issue, supporting the Palestinian cause in international forums. China reaffirmed its commitment to deepening its relations with Palestine in 2023 when it signed a strategic partnership deal with the Palestinian Authority.

China and Israel have never been friends. Its voting habits at the UN and other international organisations are antagonistic and show a lack of qualification for the Palestinian perspective. China, for example, supported a resolution at the United Nations General Assembly that asked the International Court of Justice in The Hague to render a legal opinion advised on the legal ramifications of Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian lands.[6]

The Sino-Israeli Ties

Like many of its neighbours in the area, Israel was trying to handle great power competition prior to Hamas’s October 7 attack by deriving as much advantage as possible from both China and the US. Israel looked to China to further advance its business interests, particularly in the fields of advanced technology and infrastructure development, but it still relied on the United States for diplomatic and military protection. China and Israel have benefited by this arrangement for the most part of the last ten years, and Israeli officials have tried to strengthen ties with China. However, these connections are now at risk due to China’s handling of the Gaza Strip situation and its apparent support for the Palestinians. China wants to use the Gaza conflict as a means to weaken US power in the area and increase its own, even if it means jeopardizing Sino-Israeli ties in the process. This is reflected in its determination to jeopardize its relationship with Israel.[7]

Over the years, the complex and multidimensional bilateral relationship between China and Israel has changed. China backed national liberation movements throughout the Middle East, notably the Palestinian resistance, as well as left-wing and “radical” Arab regimes in Algeria, Egypt, South Yemen, and Syria during Chairman Mao Zedong’s tenure (1949–76). Moreover, Mao believed that Israel served as the foundation for Western imperialism in the Arab East.

However, since Beijing and Tel Aviv established diplomatic ties in 1992, China and Israel have enjoyed prosperous commercial ties in a wide range of fields, such as infrastructure, technology, ports, tourism, healthcare, education, and cosmetics. Additionally, there is a history of military-technical exchanges dating back to the 1980s between the two nations. The depth of Sino-Israeli relations has led to pressure from US officials on Tel Aviv to cool its ties with the Asian giant.[8]

Surprisingly, despite their close economic ties, China has denounced Israel for its previous bombing campaigns against Gaza, Syria, and Lebanon as well as for its occupation of Palestinian and Syrian territories outside of its internationally recognized borders. China, in contrast to Israel, the US, and a few other Western nations, does not consider Hamas and Hezbollah to be terrorist groups, but rather sees them as legitimate representatives of various Palestinian and Lebanese demographic groups.[9]

China ’s stance on Israel-Hamas war

The first dimension is that, contrary to the narrative that they wish to use the United States as a provocateur, a destabilizing force, an agent supporting Israel and supporting Ukraine in fomenting conflict, China wants to be seen as a principled actor, an actor standing on the side of peace and principle. Additionally, the Chinese hope to gain ground in the Middle East. They wish to demonstrate some solidarity and appeal to the interests of other nations in the area. And the fact that the foreign minister of China hosted his regional counterparts in Beijing is indicative of that. [10] China’s unwillingness to denounce Hamas can also be attributed to its lack of responsibility for ensuring Israel’s security and survival. The United States and Europe have continued to back Israel’s survival ever since Israel gained its independence in 1948. These states’ Middle East interests, along with strong domestic pro-Israel lobbying, have reinforced the belief that ensuring Israel’s survival is a critical duty. In light of this, following the Hamas attack, the leaders of the United States, Great Britain, France, and Germany all travelled to Israel to offer their condolences and reaffirm their support for the Israeli people. China, however, lacks a historic role in the creation of Israel and possesses neither a powerful domestic political lobby in support of the Jewish state nor a military or security commitment to ensure Israel’s survival.[11]

However, there is another aspect to it that is rarely discussed—at least not in the Western media—which is China’s desire to avoid escalating internal conflicts within its borders. Not only do Uyghurs in Xinjiang make up China’s Muslim population, but Hui and other Muslims as well, and they really don’t want to aggravate an already fragile domestic situation.[12]

Another reason is that Israel is viewed by the Chinese leadership as a component of the Western bloc in terms of strategy. China, the United States’ principal foreign rival, is aware that the two nations may face even more fierce competition in the not-too-distant future. It is difficult to believe that Israel would not support the United States in a conflict involving the head of the democratic world and a newly ascending autocratic nation.

For instance, Beijing is aware that although Israel has chosen to remain neutral on Taiwan, which it regards as a crucial issue, it will probably support the United States and its allies if it decides to invade Taiwan. China’s ruling class views Israel as part of the Western bloc because of its largely Western political, military, and economic systems. Meanwhile, because of the Russia-Ukraine war and the enormous support that the US and its allies have shown for Ukraine, the Chinese are becoming more and more worried that if they take action against Taiwan, the same Western consensus will turn against them.[13]

Can China help de-escalate?

Since the 7 October attacks by Hamas, China has been reluctant to openly denounce Hamas for its attack on Israel, which Washington and Jerusalem both found unacceptable.  Beijing has become more critical of Israel as the Israeli military has increased its bombings on Gaza, claiming that Israel’s actions have exceeded the bounds of self-defense. Some analysts believe that Beijing’s hesitation to denounce Hamas stems from a desire to preserve its closer ties with other Middle Eastern nations.^[14]

Back in November, Chinese President Xi Jinping stated that a “two-state solution” was the fundamental way out from “the cycle of conflicts” between Israel and Palestinians. Stressing on China’s long-held position that Palestine should become an independent state, and its people should enjoy the right of “nationhood, life and return”. Essentially, the two-state solution is a proposed framework for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by establishing two states for two peoples: Israel for the Jewish people and Palestine for the Palestinian people.[15] China called on the UN Security Council to develop a “concrete” timeline and roadmap for a two-state solution to achieve a “comprehensive, just, and lasting” settlement of the Palestinian issue, The plan was outlined in a document issued by the Chinese foreign ministry outlining China’s stance on ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The document stated that the 15-member council must immediately call a “more authoritative and effective” international peace conference, step up its diplomatic mediation efforts, and revive the two-state solution. It asked the council to follow the international community’s general request for a “comprehensive ceasefire” to end hostilities.^[16]

In addition, The Chinese made a noteworthy offer to mediate a dispute between the Palestinians and Israelis. China’s chances of success are questionable, though, given Beijing’s seeming incapacity to generate the leverage required to push Israel and the Palestinians towards a peaceful settlement. Beijing wants to stop the issue from getting worse, but I don’t think it has the tools necessary to defuse it. This is mostly because Beijing faces significant challenges in defusing the situation diplomatically due to its limited influence over Israel. Furthermore, China’s influence in the Middle East seems to be exaggerated. Despite its economic might, its actual ability to influence events in the region is quite limited. The prolonged crisis has brought attention to China’s lack of the hard power required to achieve its goals.[17]

To conclude, Beijing has not denounced Hamas since the beginning of hostilities in October, preferring to express its opposition to actions that cause harm to people and its desire for de-escalation and a two-state solution.

References

[1] Matamis, Joaquin. “Why China Has Not Condemned the Hamas Attack on Israel.” Stimson Center, December 1, 2023. https://www.stimson.org/2023/why-china-has-not-condemned-the-hamas-attack-on-israel/.

[2] Çalışkan, Sercan. “Understanding China’s Position on the Israel-Palestine Conflict.” The Diplomat, December 15, 2023. https://thediplomat.com/2023/12/understanding-chinas-position-on-the-israel-palestine-conflict/.

[3] CBC. “The Diplomacy Dance: China and the Israel-Hamas War,” December 15, 2023. https://www.cbc.ca/radio/ideas/china-s-stance-on-israel-hamas-war-1.7059153.

[4] Çalışkan, Sercan. “Understanding China’s Position on the Israel-Palestine Conflict.” The Diplomat, December 15, 2023. https://thediplomat.com/2023/12/understanding-chinas-position-on-the-israel-palestine-conflict/.

[5] Çalışkan, Sercan. “Understanding China’s Position on the Israel-Palestine Conflict.” The Diplomat, December 15, 2023. https://thediplomat.com/2023/12/understanding-chinas-position-on-the-israel-palestine-conflict/.

[6] Chaziza, Mordechai. “Is China a Friend? Time for Israel to Decide.” The Diplomat, November 7, 2023. https://thediplomat.com/2023/11/is-china-a-friend-time-for-israel-to-decide/.

[7] Lipkind, Simone. “Fickle Friends: Sino-Israeli Ties Buckle Amid War With Hamas.” Council on Foreign Relations, January 26, 2024. https://www.cfr.org/blog/fickle-friends-sino-israeli-ties-buckle-amid-war-hamas.

[8] Cafiero, Giorgio. “China and Israel Have Enjoyed Serious Ties. What Happens Now?” Responsible Statecraft, November 7, 2023. https://responsiblestatecraft.org/china-israel/.

[9] Cafiero, Giorgio. “China and Israel Have Enjoyed Serious Ties. What Happens Now?” Responsible Statecraft, November 7, 2023. https://responsiblestatecraft.org/china-israel/.

[10] CBC. “The Diplomacy Dance: China and the Israel-Hamas War,” December 15, 2023. https://www.cbc.ca/radio/ideas/china-s-stance-on-israel-hamas-war-1.7059153.

[11] Matamis, Joaquin. “Why China Has Not Condemned the Hamas Attack on Israel.” Stimson Center, December 1, 2023. https://www.stimson.org/2023/why-china-has-not-condemned-the-hamas-attack-on-israel/.

[12] CBC. “The Diplomacy Dance: China and the Israel-Hamas War,” December 15, 2023. https://www.cbc.ca/radio/ideas/china-s-stance-on-israel-hamas-war-1.7059153.

[13] Matamis, Joaquin. “Why China Has Not Condemned the Hamas Attack on Israel.” Stimson Center, December 1, 2023. https://www.stimson.org/2023/why-china-has-not-condemned-the-hamas-attack-on-israel/.

[14] Yang, William. “China’s Xi Urges End to Israel-Hamas Conflict Through Two-State Solution.” Voice of America, October 20, 2023. https://www.voanews.com/a/china-s-xi-urges-end-to-israel-hamas-conflict-through-two-state-solution-/7318986.html.

[15] Encyclopedia Britannica. “Two-State Solution | Definition, Facts, History, & Map,” March 27, 2024. https://www.britannica.com/topic/two-state-solution.

[16] https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/china-calls-concrete-roadmap-two-state-solution-solve-gaza-conflict-2023-11-30/

[17] Cafiero, Giorgio. “China and Israel Have Enjoyed Serious Ties. What Happens Now?” Responsible Statecraft, November 7, 2023. https://responsiblestatecraft.org/china-israel/.