The Israel-Hamas conflict is entering a crucial phase, where any escalation may lead to full scale war involving Iran, Lebanon, other Arab countries against Israel, the US and its allies. This grave situation has the potential to alter regional and global geopolitics and could have a long term impact on the security, diplomacy and economy of several nations around the globe. Amid the precarious scenario, China seems to be siding with Palestine instead of taking a middle approach. China has close trade and political ties with Iran, which supports Hamas and Lebanon’s Hezbollah and in Beijing’s calculations, support from Arab nations is crucial at the moment for its global ambitions. The end game being destabilizing the US from the Middle East.
Beijing was trying to maintain a delicate balance as it positioned itself as a mediator in order to exert its influence in the region. But after Israel was attacked by Hamas terrorists, Chinese approach seems to be tilting towards the Palestine. A Number of experts opine, Beijing’s latest approach, risks alienating Israel. After Hamas attacked Israel, a video has been circulating on X, in which Wang Yi, China’s foreign minister is saying, “The survival of the Israelis has been guaranteed, but who cares about the survival of the Palestinians? The Israeli nation is no longer displaced around the world. When can the Palestinian nation return to its homeland?
China’s changed strategy is also visible from the fact that it is no longer offering to mediate between Israel and Palestine, instead leaving that responsibility to “the international community.” As the world condemned Hamas attack on Israel, China’s Foreign Ministry, reiterated its support for Palestinian statehood, while expressing “deep concern” and calling on all parties to cease fire and exercise restraint. In June 2023, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas visited China and met with President Xi Jinping. This was Abbas’ fifth visit to China, and he was told about China’s plans to provide assistance to Palestine.
Tuvia Gering, a researcher at the Israel-China Policy Center at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv, described Beijing’s position as “pro-Palestine neutrality,” similar to its position on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which signaled support for the Kremlin.
Gering told AP, “You cannot be neutral in something like this. Silence is acquiescence,” Gering said. “The problem, I think, the biggest one we have, is that China, instead of being the responsible major power that it claims to be, it is exploiting this conflict for geopolitical benefits.”
Beijing has been projecting itself as a peace maker in the Middle East in its attempt to outwit the US. This year, China played a role in restoring diplomatic ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran, emerging as an alternative to the United States in brokering peace deals.
Under President Xi, China has pursued a proactive diplomacy wooing Middle Eastern powers and filling any space vacated by the US. It has managed Arab countries to remain silent regarding China’s repression of the Uyghur Muslims. China needs the Middle Eastern countries to obtain oil, to pursue its Belt and Road Initiative and to sell its weapons in case the conflict between Israel and Hamas escalates and reach other regions.
China has so far refused to designate Hamas as a terrorist organization, seeing it instead as a “Palestinian resistance movement.”
Jennifer Zeng, a Chinese-born human rights activist and author taking to social media site X, points out, “XiJinping’s idol #MaoZedong also said, “ Great chaos is needed to achieve great (new) order in the world. She adds, “I guess the current chaos is exactly the “changes” Xi promised to drive together with Putin in March when he finished his visit to “Russia”.
The propaganda on China’s social media accounts at present is blaming Israel for the conflict, with many influencers even mocking Israel’s Iron Dome air defence system.
Meanwhile, Iran’s foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian has warned that if Israel’s attacks on the Gaza Strip don’t stop immediately, the violence could spread to other parts of the Middle East. Hossein Amirabdollahian went to Iraq, Lebanon, and Syrian after Israel began its operation in the Gaza. Iran heads the so-called “axis of resistance” that includes powerful militant groups in the region, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Popular Mobilization Forces in Iraq.
China too has a key role in the present conflict between Israel and Hamas, as the Diplomat reported. Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis in Yemen are financed by Tehran, as a way of launching an armed attack against its main enemy, Israel. And China has offered Iran generous lines of credit that are paid through exports of barrels of oil at below market prices, According to the Diplomat, an important portion of Chinese credit lines to Iran went toward financing fighters in Gaza and Lebanon.
Israel has made it clear that it is only targeting Hamas, which is shielding behind Israeli hostages including toddlers whom it kidnapped. If Iran or Lebanon joins Hamas in this conflict against Israel, there are chances that China would be siding with them and would be instrumental in proving support. Beijing is leaving no stone unturned in undermining the US in various parts of the world including in Middle East. China is often waiting for an opportunity to take a position, which is opposite of the American stance, be it regarding Russia- Ukraine conflict, or Iran- America differences, or the present conflict between Israel and Hamas.
