Where do China-Israel ties stand after closure of consulate in Chengdu?

In a sign of fraying ties amid the Middle East conflict, Israel’s consulate general in Chengdu has closed with its consul general leaving his post, two years after a controversy stoked backlash among Chinese netizens.Nevertheless, an analyst has downplayed the impact of the news, saying bilateral relations in recent years had already been strained.In a letter published on Wednesday, Gadi Harpaz called his five years as Israeli consul general in the southwestern Chinese city “the most memorable of his diplomatic career” and said he was parting “with a deep sense of sadness and nostalgia”.