The visit to the United States by the president of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, in September 2024, along with his meeting with US President Joe Biden, was meant to signal a new beginning in relations between the two countries. These relations have been marked by tensions, mainly due to the development of closer ties between Abu Dhabi and Beijing, including cooperation in artificial intelligence through G42, a UAE company. If the understandings reached at the end of the visit regarding AI, among other...
The Xiangshan Forum was held in Beijing in mid-September 2024, showcasing key Chinese concepts, such as the Global South, the Global Security Initiative (GSI), and China’s approach to conflict resolution through dialogue. Whereas China views the Forum as a success, many of the ideas presented were general and reflected a naïve view of the current global reality.
These days mark three years since the inauguration of the Bay Port in Haifa. Even before the port began its commercial operations in late September 2021, and even more so in the subsequent years, the port faced numerous challenges beyond those associated with operating a new port. The port’s operation by an Israeli company owned by a Chinese corporation drew extensive criticism in both Israel and the United States. The COVID-19 pandemic, a complex political reality in Israel, and a multi-front war that Israel encountered in 2023 also...
The “reconciliation meetings” sponsored by China between Palestinian factions, primarily Hamas and Fatah, reflect a new development in Beijing’s approach to the Middle East. Although China is essentially indifferent to the outcomes of the talks and has no direct interest in Palestinian internal reconciliation, the mere existence of the talks is intended to present China as a responsible power and an effective “mediator” that cares about the rights of the Palestinian people. By hosting terrorist organizations in its capital and...
The China–Arab States Cooperation Forum (CASCF) was held this year, marking the twentieth anniversary of its establishment. Over the years, the forum has become a platform for China to increase its influence over Arab countries at the expense of the United States and the West. However, it has also led to Arab countries influencing China to adopt increasingly extreme positions in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. The joint statement this year, which was made in the midst of the war in the Gaza Strip, is the most hostile and one-sided...
The conduct of China and Taiwan since the October 7 massacre in the context of the Swords of Iron war reflects differences in their interests, objectives, and strategic positions with respect to Israel, the Middle East, and the international arena. While China is opposed to Israel and sympathetic to Hamas, Taiwan shows sympathy and support for Israel. In spite of the emerging clarity, Israel should not at this stage change its fundamental policy on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.
The German chancellor’s trip to China in April focused primarily on business matters, taking place in the context of apparent tensions between China and the United States, Germany’s strategic partner. The pressure on the European Union to take action against Chinese companies regarding trade and dumping levies also dominated the agenda. In parallel to these talks, Germany was investigating a Chinese espionage affair. The chancellor aimed to foster German business with China and adopted a positive and conciliatory tone in his...
In 2023 there was a sharp decline in the trade of goods between Israel and China, after years of continuous increases, in which China became a significant trade partner for Israel. While the decline could be attributed on the surface to the war in Gaza and the broader threat posed by the Houthis to international trade, these events primarily impacted trade in the final quarter of the year. However, the decline in trade between Israel and China was consistent throughout the year. This paper proposes three possible explanations for...
The relationship between the EU and China has been complex and evolving since they established formal ties, due to the European Union’s apprehensive approach to China, with a mixture of both excitement and concern at once. The European Union understands the limitations of its influence on China. At the same time, the European Union also understands that it must set achievable goals in each of its three-dimensional strategy phases in its relations with China: “cross-border” threats, economic competition, and systemic rivalry.
The ongoing war between Israel and Hamas has once again highlighted the gaps between Chinese words and deeds when it comes to Israel and the Palestinians. In its rhetoric, China has sided with the Palestinians; in deeds, it has provided them with less financial aid than many other countries. Over the past few months, Beijing has tried to argue that its position vis-à-vis the war is objective, but it has wholeheartedly adopted the narrative of the Arab states. China declared that it is countering antisemitism, but the social media...
Despite claims that China could help reduce the threat that the Houthi rebels in Yemen pose to maritime traffic in the Red Sea, Beijing has neither condemned these attacks nor has it joined the US-led international coalition against them. China may not be interested in using its influence to help resolve the crisis and may be willing to sustain the economic damage that it is causing. At the same time, the crisis might exemplify the limitations of Chinese influence in the Middle East.
On January 13, William Lai, the leader of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), was elected president of Taiwan. A few days earlier, for the first time in four years, the United States-China Defense Policy Coordination Talks took place in Washington, marking the end of a prolonged round of tension between the two powers, which had peaked in August 2022 when the speaker of the US House of Representatives visited Taiwan. Taiwan is a major point of friction in the already tense relations between the two powers. Managing the...
