Rivalry with the U.S. sees Beijing seizing the Hamas war as an opportunity to expand its diplomatic influence and reshape global opinion in its favor.
For much of the past two decades, Israel treated China as a valuable but distant partner, a source of investment, technology cooperation and access to Asian markets. The relationship was pragmatic and carefully managed: Israel avoided open alignment with Washington’s criticism of Beijing, while China maintained a policy of formal neutrality in Middle Eastern conflicts.
Bilateral trade grew steadily, Chinese companies built infrastructure across Israel, and diplomatic exchanges remained cordial, if cautious.
That equilibrium collapsed after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack and the war that followed.