Senior Israeli Foreign Ministry sources said that one of China’s top diplomats last week warned Israel not to allow American pressure to harm relations with Beijing.
Liu Jianchao, the head of the Chinese Communist Party’s international affairs department, reportedly conveyed the message during a meeting last week with the Israeli ambassador to China, Irit Ben-Abba.
Sources described the overture as the most straightforward to date that Beijing has conveyed regarding the “US-Israel-China triangle.”
Liu specifically urged Israel to avoid being “dragged” into the US position that China is perpetrating genocide in Xinjiang.
Israel ratified a resolution at the UN Human Rights Council in June criticizing China’s conduct in the region, reportedly under pressure from Washington.
Ben-Abba reportedly responded by saying that China’s pro-Palestinian votes at the UN were not helping to foster better relations.
Israeli-Chinese relations are witnessing a development in various economic, commercial and even security fields. Israel handed over a Chinese company the management of Haifa commercial port for 25 years.
Washington views these relations negatively, to the extent that it threatened to stop the entry of ships of its Fifth and Sixth Fleet to this port.
Washington believes that Beijing is exploiting its economic ties for industrial and military espionage, exposing US technology used in Israel to danger.
Tel Aviv confirmed that Israeli intelligence is aware of this danger and is taking measures and precautions to confront it.
Tel Aviv had also warned against China’s interference in upcoming Israeli elections and criticized it for actions against Taiwan.
Israel also criticized China over its statements against the Jewish state on the Palestinian issue, especially during the recent attack on Gaza.
On the other hand, the Chinese leadership expressed its rage over Israel, under US pressure, joining a statement issued by a group of member states of the United Nations Human Rights Council, condemning Chinese policy towards the Uyghurs in the Chinese region of Xinjiang.
