Israel joins the rest of the region, PM to visit China next month
China has provided tens of billions of investments to Saudi, Egypt, Iran, and Qatar, which Israel was unable to gain from due to US-imposed restrictions.
In retaliation for Biden Administration unofficial boycott, the Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to visit China next month. The PM will meet with President Xi Jinping and other leaders according to sources. It is not clear what will be on the trip agenda.
China, two weeks ago, signed a strategic partnership with Palestine and put forward a vision for the Palestinian statehood which includes initiating a new peace process between Palestine and Israel.
The Israel PM trip to China aims to undermine the Palestinian diplomatic breakthrough which included signing a strategic partnership. Although Chinese trade and investment with Israel are large, Israel had to limit its trade relations with China in response to US pressure. Hence, Israel is trying to regain the upper hand in any China-led peace process and replace isolation with active engagement.
Israel is effectively joining the regional trend of balancing US ties with warmer ties with China. This has resulted in China providing tens of billions of investments in Saudi, Egypt, Iran, and Qatar, which Israel was unable to gain from due to US-imposed restrictions.
This remarkable shift in US-Israel relations will likely endure as China seeks to replace the US dominance in the MENA region with its economic might and diplomatic muscles.