Israel-Gaza war: China’s path to peace is tested against US dominance in the Middle East
- Beijing intends to use ‘the new crisis as leverage’ to compete for more influence in the Mideast: analyst
- China’s growing alignment with Arab nations puts its credibility as a neutral peace broker ‘under strain’, experts say
When the Israel-Gaza war erupted last month, Washington, along with its Western allies, stressed support for Israel and publicly condemned Hamas – the Palestinian Islamist movement that rules Gaza – for attacking civilians.
Beijing, meanwhile, refused to condemn the group or refer to it as a terrorist organisation, drawing backlash from the West.
As events quickly unfolded in the region, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Israel’s reaction – the attack on Gaza – had “gone beyond” self-defence.
He called for an independent Palestine and protections of the legitimate rights of the Palestinians. The foreign ministry, as well as China’s Middle East envoy, Zhai Jun, have said that China and Arab countries “shared similar positions on Palestine issues”.
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Dozens killed as Gaza’s largest refugee camp hit by Israeli air strike targeting ‘Hamas terrorists’
Nearly 11,000 Gaza residents had been killed as of Wednesday, about 40 per cent of them children, according to Palestinian officials. The enclave is in the midst of a humanitarian crisis with basic supplies running out and buildings demolished by unrelenting Israeli bombardments.
