As China warms up to Israel, ties could cause security quandary for the long-time US ally
- Vice-President Wang Qishan will lead a Chinese delegation to Israel to discuss expanding business and trade opportunities
- The greater engagement could make it more likely that Israel will get caught up in the Beijing-Washington rivalry
China is preparing to enhance its technological cooperation with Israel as Vice-President Wang Qishan travels to the Middle East next week, but closer ties between the two nations could trigger a security dilemma for Israel amid the rivalry between China and the United States.
Wang, the highest-ranking Chinese official to visit Israel in nearly two decades, will lead a delegation to the fourth China-Israel Innovation Committee, which is hosted by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, during a three-day trip that begins on Monday.
The vice-president will go to Palestine, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates after Israel, the China’s foreign ministry said.
The Chinese delegation will feature a group of Chinese business leaders including Jack Ma, executive chairman of Asian e-commerce giant Alibaba Group, in discussions aimed at expanding business and trade opportunities, and cooperation between Jerusalem and Beijing. Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post.
The visit of Wang, known as a “firefighter” and Chinese President Xi Jinping’s right-hand man, during which he will attend the opening of a new innovation centre, is a testimony to the warming relations between Israel and China amid bitter competition between the world’s two largest economies.