For Israel, the trip was a reminder to Washington that there are other superpowers looking to deepen their ties with Israel. For China, it was an opportunity to raise the costs of the U.S.' pivot away from the Middle East to Asia by signaling that Beijing could fill some of the void.
That dynamic was upended in the wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack. During the current moment of strain in the Bibi-Biden relationship, Sino-Israeli ties will not be a viable pressure tool for Netanyahu because China has other plans.
Beijing has distanced itself from Israel amid marked international criticism of its bombardment of Gaza, a move that is playing well around much of the world and serves as a counterpoint to Washington's diplomatic and military support of Israel.
Since China successfully facilitated the restoration of ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia last spring, it has sought out further opportunities to position itself as an alternative to the U.S.-led international order.
#china-israel-relations #middle-east-geopolitics #us-foreign-policy #international-diplomacy #geopolitical-dynamics
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