Israel’s China envoy calls to deepen historical ties in rare state media outreach

South China Morning PostCenter-RightEN 1 min read 100% complete by Orange WangFebruary 1, 2026 at 12:29 PM

AI Summary

short article 1 min

In a rare outreach, Israel's ambassador to China, Eli Belotserkovsky, published an article in Chinese state media Xinhua, emphasizing the historical ties between Israel and China. The article, published on Friday, calls for closer socioeconomic cooperation between the two nations, highlighting the potential global benefits of combining their historical wisdom. This diplomatic move signals a shift, as Israeli diplomats had become less vocal in Chinese state media since the October 2023 Hamas attack and Israel's subsequent war declaration. While Beijing condemned the Hamas attack, it has also criticized Israel's response in Gaza. The timing of the article coincides with global discussions surrounding the US's newly formed Board of Peace aimed at addressing the Palestinian issue.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Beijing 40% United States 50% Gaza 50% October 2023 attack 60% Donald Trump 60% Hamas ×270% Xinhua ×270% Israel ×580% China ×480% Eli Belotserkovsky ×290%

Keywords

israel-china relations 90% diplomatic ties 80% state media 70% historical connections 60% socioeconomic ties 60% hamas attack 50% xinhua 50% gaza response 40%