It was only this spring that the self-proclaimed start-up global power China brought arch-enemies Iran and Saudi Arabia to the table. Now the People’s Republic has opened another barrel to secure further influence, especially in the MENA region, at the expense of the US and Europe: It wants to revive the two-state solution in the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians that has long been declared dead bring the table.
As long as the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians smolders, so is the list of states and organizations that want to reconcile Israelis and Palestinians. Now, after diplomatic talks with Jerusalem and Ramallah, China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gangun has declared that Beijing wants to revive the peace process (which has been stagnant for ten years) and, according to statements by the Foreign Ministry in Beijing, offered help in finding a two-state solution. “It’s never too late to do the right thing.” What sounds like fortune cookie wisdom is part of a major Beijing diplomatic offensive.
Now the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas traveled to China for a visit lasting several days. The Palestinian News Agency said Abbas met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Li Qiang during his visit. Abbas and Xi exchanged views on “recent developments in Palestinian affairs, as well as regional and international issues of mutual interest.”
With its new “Global Security Initiative”, China is also positioning itself against the US in the field of security policy. Beijing published a series of documents and position papers on a solution to the Ukraine war back in February. In April, Beijing set the stage for a ceremonial resumption of diplomatic ties between arch-rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia, which drew global attention, shortly thereafter, the offer to mediate in the most complex of all conflicts.
“After the success with Saudi Arabia and Iran, the Chinese have fallen in love with the image of the mediator,” says a staffer at Glazer’s Israel-China Policy Center at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv. However, she doubts that China is actually willing to take concrete steps to resume the peace talks. Beijing’s plans are too vague for that: “It’s not something you could put on the table to start a discussion. China only wants to position itself in the event that the process moves again, in order to then demand a seat at the negotiating table.” As with the agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran: the actual diplomatic work was done by Oman and Iraq. “China only provided the table for signing,” says the expert.
Nobody believes that China can replace the US as a broker in the Middle East. For example, Beijing is not prepared to ensure compliance with the agreement between Riyadh and Tehran. In addition, China cannot (yet) offer military protection in the Middle East like the US guarantees its partners.
After Beijing’s charm offensive, Israel did not respond to China’s proposals at all. The Israeli Prime Minister reluctantly said that the government in Jerusalem “respects China, we have a lot to do with China. But we also know that we have an indispensable alliance with our great friend, the United States.” Beijing is not an option for Jerusalem to mediate in the conflict with the Palestinians. The ultra-right government is fundamentally opposed to a separate Palestinian state. And China is not perceived as neutral in Israel. In every UN vote dealing with the Middle East conflict, China votes against Israel.
The most recent initiations in the economic sector between Israel and Beijing had caused irritation in Washington. Beijing has massively supported the expansion of ports and rail networks and invested in Israel’s high-tech sector. This area in particular is close to the security industry in Israel and the US fears that economic cooperation could be a gateway for Chinese espionage in Israel and that information about American military technology could also reach the archrival. The United States is Israel’s most important arms supplier and sponsor, which is why a special committee in Israel has been examining the award of public contracts for security risks for the past three years. The share of Chinese companies has since declined.
The Palestinian reaction was naturally much more positive. The Palestinian Foreign Minister welcomed Beijing’s initiative and thanked China for its support in international organizations. He suggested a series of joint projects to strengthen the “strategic partnership”.
China supports the Palestinians in international organizations in order to maintain favor with the Arab states from which it imports oil and in which it has invested heavily, for example in infrastructure and high tech. In the Palestinian territories, on the other hand, almost no money flows from China yet. Beijing does not support the Palestinians more than rhetorically. The United States is not considered a fair mediator in the Palestinian territories because it takes Israeli interests more into account. But China isn’t very popular either: according to Princeton University’s Arab Barometer, Palestinian attitudes towards China are the least positive of any other Middle Eastern country. While China’s influence in the Middle East is growing, it cannot yet match the US in the region.
All publishing rights and copyrights reserved to MENA Research and Study Center.
