On August 10, the spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in Israel expressed firm opposition and strong condemnation in his letter to the Jerusalem Post as an op-ed it published tried to take the US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan as an excuse to drive a wedge between China and Israel. The content of the letter is as follows:
The Jerusalem Post published an op-ed that tried to take the US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan as an excuse to drive a wedge between China and Israel, to which we express firm opposition and strong condemnation.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Israel. Over the past 30 years, with the joint efforts of both sides, China and Israel launched an Innovative Comprehensive Partnership which saw fruitful results yielded in cooperation of various fields, benefiting both countries and peoples and contributing to the peace and development in the Middle East. The bilateral trade volume has increased from $50 million in 1992 to $22.8 billion in 2021. China became Israel’s largest trading partner in Asia and the second-largest in the world. The two sides launched the China-Israel Changzhou Innovation Park and the Shanghai Innovation Park, where a large number of Israeli enterprises have already settled down for business growth. Chinese companies actively participated in Israel’s infrastructure construction projects including the port in Ashdod, the new port of Haifa, and the Red Line of the Tel Aviv Light Rail, making positive contributions to Israel’s economic and social developments. In 2019, 170,000 visits were made by Chinese tourists to Israel and around 100,000 by Israelis to China. Mutual benefit and win-win results are the essence of China-Israel cooperation, which is conducive to the development of both countries and beneficiary to both peoples. The pragmatic cooperation between the two sides enjoys complementary strengths, enormous potential and promising prospects.
One important lesson in China-Israel relations is that, both sides need to stick to important principles including mutual respect for each other’s sovereignty, and non-interference in internal affairs. The one-China principle is the prerequisite and political foundation for China’s bilateral relationship with all countries including Israel. The Chinese side appreciates the commitment of the Israeli side to the one-China policy, as well as its understanding and support for China’s core interests and major concerns.
China maintains normal, friendly and cooperative relations with all countries in the Middle East region. The exchanges and cooperation between China and any of the regional countries do not target at any third party. China is committed to a positive and constructive role in upholding peace, stability and development in the region.
The development of China-Israel relations is in line with the trends of the times, the will of the two peoples and the fundamental interests of the two countries. Any attempt to drive a wedge between China and Israel is doomed to failure! The future of China-Israel relations will only be even brighter!