Publications

China’s relations with Iran were recently tested during the twelve-day Israel–Iran war and the US strike on Iran’s nuclear sites. While China’s diplomatic statements supported Iran verbally, they did little else. Chinese media reports covered the Iranian minister of defense’s visit to Beijing in June and mentioned the possible supply of air defense systems and fighter jets to Tehran, although China denied the former. As Beijing is typically cautious in its security, defense, and military cooperation with Iran, most public attention...

China’s involvement in amplifying anti-Israel messages has become increasingly evident in the past year. Despite its diplomatic and economic ties with Israel, China uses its official media channels to portray Israel and the United States as solely responsible for the suffering in the Gaza Strip and as destabilizing actors. At the same time, it covertly runs influence campaigns within the United States, spreading anti-Israel and antisemitic narratives. These efforts have included conspiracy theories about “Jewish control” of politics,...

The policy of Moscow and Beijing, which consisted of fairly mild condemnations of the Israeli and US strikes in Iran, sparked criticism and disappointment in Tehran. It also reinforced the Iranian assessment that its reliance on Russia and China remains limited, particularly in the event of a military confrontation with Israel and the United States. Nevertheless, it is clear that for now, Iran has no viable alternative to continuing its political, economic, and security partnership (as limited as it may be) with Russia and China,...

Since October 7, China has intensified its support for the Palestinians in the international arena while consistently avoiding any condemnation of Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran, and the Houthis, framing all cases of escalation in the Middle East as a result of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. At the same time, China continues to maintain economic and diplomatic relations with Israel and has even strengthened them. The contradiction between the overt discourse and actual conduct illustrates the biased neutrality that characterizes Beijing’s...

Since the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, Taiwan has shown exceptional support for the State of Israel. Against this backdrop, the ties between the two have grown stronger—both symbolically and practically. Taiwan has assisted Israel’s civil society and emergency organizations and expressed interest in learning from Israel’s handling of security and social challenges. However, the relationship is significantly limited, primarily by Israel’s relations with China, which restricts Israel–Taiwan ties to mid-level channels and specific...

American President Donald Trump has apparently made the acquisition of mineral rich Greenland a key part of American foreign policy. However, the Greenlandic people, following mixed experiences under Danish rule, want to be independent. If Greenland is acquired by the United States, it will set a dangerous precedent for Israel, while not doing much to help Israeli high tech’s resource security.

As tensions in the Middle East escalated, China chose to remain on the sidelines. Yet, despite criticism of its public passivity and its lack of direct influence, China appears to have achieved much of what it wanted—without becoming entangled or paying a price, either economically or diplomatically. This article reviews Beijing’s interests in the context of the Israel–Iran war and the balance of gains and losses for China at the war’s conclusion.

Under the leadership of Xi Jinping, China has promoted a series of global initiatives—the first of which was the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), followed in recent years by the Global Development Initiative (GDI), the Global Security Initiative (GSI), and the Global Civilization Initiative (GCI). These initiatives, alongside the concept of a “community with a shared future for mankind,” are part of a broader strategy to reshape China’s international environment and advance a Chinese vision for the global order. For Israel, it is...

The cloud market in the Middle East is emerging as a battleground in the global struggle for technological influence, where the United States and China are competing for control over digital infrastructure, the setting of technological standards, and the shaping of the rules that will govern the flow of information and data. China’s technological expansion in the region may gradually pose increasing challenges for Israel—necessitating the development of a strategic and technological policy to safeguard Israeli interests amid evolving...

This article reviews and analyzes trends in trade between Israel and China in 2024, set against the backdrop of the Swords of Iron war and the ongoing trade war. Three key developments stand out compared to 2023. First, imports from China rose approximately 20% in 2024, following an 18% drop from 2022 to 2023. Israel continues to import more goods from China than from any other country, and in 2024, about 15% of all goods imported to Israel came from China. Second, Israeli exports to China continued to decline. In 2024, Israeli...

China is undertaking efforts to influence the Israeli public through China Radio International (CRI), embassy activities that include journalist delegations and the publication of articles and interviews in Israeli media, and collaborations with local media outlets. While China works to promote narratives favorable to its global image, it is important that the public be able to distinguish between legitimate influence efforts and covert operations aimed at shaping public consciousness. Therefore, the Israeli media should examine the...

In May 2024, Taiwan’s new president, Lai Ching-te, was inaugurated. Since then, tensions around Taiwan have continued to escalate, including stronger rhetoric by all parties, increased US arms sales to Taiwan, legislative moves in the US Congress targeting China, and, of course, military threats by China. In early December 2024, tensions peaked when China conducted significant naval and aerial military activities around Taiwan without any prior announcement of an official exercise. Reports from Taiwan indicated that China’s...