Strategic Assessment

At the National People's Congress of March 2018, far reaching structural changes were made in China's governmental institutions. This essay reviews the political declarations and structural changes approved at the Congress, and analyzes their political significance for Israel. China's economic objectives create new horizons for Israel regarding commercial cooperation with China on the one hand, yet pose possible risks if China becomes a future competitor. From a defense perspective, the upgrading of China's army and expansion of Chinese military exports constitute an indirect risk to Israel through sales of advanced Chinese weapons to Israel's adversaries and China's gradual transformation into a competitor of Israel in defense exports. And from a political perspective, the extension of Chinese President Xi Jinping's term in office and the structural changes in the Chinese government require a remapping of China's power centers and authority in the various Chinese governmental bodies.