Xi Jinping and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meeting ahead of talks at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse on March 21, 2017 in Beijing, China. Credit: Etienne Oliveau/Pool via AP Images
China’s position since the breakout of the recent Israel-Hamas conflict has been somewhat contradictory. Beijing has condemned attacks against civilians but refuses to condemn the party(ies) that inflicted them. It has expressed sympathy to Israel but refused to criticize Hamas. In fact, Hamas is not even mentioned in Chinese government references. On the other hand, the government has expressed sympathy to Palestine, especially the people in Gaza, but has refused to criticize Israel.
The apparent contradictions mask the truth that, despite its long-term amicable relationship with Israel, Beijing has evidently chosen to side with the Palestinians and the Arab countries.
In the Chinese view, Washington’s peace plan for the region has conveniently evaded the issue of Palestine’s fate and sowed the seeds of conflict by leaving it out of the process.
Just like the Ukraine war, where China’s pro-Russia neutrality has solicited broad international cr
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