China Condemns Attacks After Schumer Pressure

WASHINGTON -Beijing has denounced the assaults carried out by Hamas in Israel, but it has not specifically named Hamas. This comes as a response to pressure from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of the United States.

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement in which it condemned “all violence and attacks on civilians” and stated that “the most urgent task now is to reach a ceasefire and restore peace.”

After expressing to Chinese leader Xi Jinping his dissatisfaction with China’s prior statement, which only called for prudence, Schumer, a Democrat, issued the statement on Monday. This happened after Schumer voiced his disapproval to Xi Jinping.

“I raised with President Xi the unfolding atrocities carried out against Israel and the need for the world community to stand together against terrorism and with the Israeli people. I pointedly requested from President Xi that the Chinese foreign minister strengthen their statement; they did,” Schumer said in a statement on Monday. “I raised with President Xi the unfolding atrocities carried out against Israel and the need for the world community to stand together against terrorism and with the Israeli people.”

However, during the regularly scheduled news conference that took place on Monday, a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not mention Hamas and declined to label the attacks that were carried out by the militants as an act of terrorism.

According to the Associated Press, only the Chinese Embassy in Israel has recognised Hamas and called the militants “terrorists” when it revealed that a young woman of Israeli and Chinese descent was among the hostages captured by Hamas gunmen. This information was provided when the Chinese Embassy said that the woman was among the hostages.

During a music event in Israel on Saturday, October 7, 2023, this still image taken from a video that was obtained by the Associated Press shows Noa Argamani’s reaction as she and her partner Avinatan Or, who is not shown in the image, are taken into custody. The words “Our guys have done their duty” are written in Arabic in the bottom left corner of the video.

During her time at a peace music festival in southern Israel, Noa was taken hostage by terrorists affiliated with Hamas. She was taken from Israel to Gaza, according to a statement sent by the embassy. “She is not only a daughter, but also a sister, and a friend,” we said.

Continuing to wield influence

Analysts are of the impression that China avoids directly denouncing Hamas in order to preserve its influence in emerging nations.

According to Jonathan Schanzer, senior vice president for research at the Foundation for Defence of Democracies, who spoke with VOA Mandarin, ‘China has traditionally leaned towards the Arab world and even the nonstate players backed by rogue nations.’

‘China is trying to take a position of greater neutrality than the United States and to be viewed in the world as a more impartial, or honest broker, and not necessarily aligned with Israel as the United States,’ Benjamin H. Friedman, policy director at Defence Priorities, told VOA Mandarin. “China is trying to take a position of greater neutrality than the United States.” And I believe it is in line with the objective to gain influence in a good portion of the developing world.’

Since 2013, China has taken steps to strengthen its ties with Israel, particularly in the areas of science and technology, including the development of military technologies.

In the meantime, Beijing has made headway in the Middle East peace mediation process, which poses a challenge to the influence that the United States has in the region.

Analysts believe that Beijing’s equivocal stance towards the latest attacks is part of a strategic plan to retain relations with regional countries like Saudi Arabia and to contrast any efforts by the United States to resolve the crisis.

The resumption of diplomatic ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran in March was the result of negotiations that were mediated by China and were perceived as enhancing Beijing’s geopolitical dominance in the region.

In March, Adam Gallagher, the managing editor for public affairs and communications at the United States Institute of Peace, said that for China, “brokering rapprochement between these two longtime Middle East rivals has key strategic and symbolic dimensions.”

“Beijing has a strategic interest in ensuring that there is no disruption to the free flow of oil from the region. “China has been on a diplomatic offensive aimed at building an alternative to the dominance of the United States in global affairs. What this deal signals about Beijing’s role in global affairs may be just as, if not more, critical for China.”

In the meantime, efforts have been made by the United States of America to mediate a peace agreement between Saudi Arabia and Israel. It has been known for a long time that Iran is a significant financial backer of Hamas, thus this would be perceived as a diplomatic defeat for Iran.

 Heartbreak as Civilians Slaughtered on Both Sides in Israel-Gaza Conflict 

The founder and executive director of a think tank in Israel called Sino-Israel Global Network and Academic Leadership, Carice Witte, told VOA Mandarin that although China does not want to see attacks on Israel like the ones that took place over the weekend, China does want to see Saudi Arabia stay on China’s side. The normalisation that is going to take place, especially now after what we are experiencing, will bring more Arab governments towards normalisation and cooperation with Israel.

Israel has referred to the strikes carried out by Hamas over the weekend as its own personal “9/11,” in reference to the impact that the attacks have had on Israelis in terms of lives, property, and morale.

After the terrorist attacks that took place in the United States on September 11, 2001, China issued an emphatic condemnation of terrorism and offered supportive gestures to the government of the United States. This step assisted Beijing in improving its relations with Washington after years of friction between the two nations.

However, many experts believe that China will not be ready or able to take advantage of the current crisis in order to improve relations between China and Israel.

I don’t believe that they are making the most of the potential to strengthen their collaboration. Friedman stated that it seems their primary aim is in maintaining a neutral reputation.

This report contains contributions by Adrianna Zhang.The founder and executive director of a think tank in Israel called Sino-Israel Global Network and Academic Leadership, Carice Witte, told VOA Mandarin that although China does not want to see attacks on Israel like the ones that took place over the weekend, China does want to see Saudi Arabia stay on China’s side. The normalisation that is going to take place, especially now after what we are experiencing, will bring more Arab governments towards normalisation and cooperation with Israel.

Israel has referred to the strikes carried out by Hamas over the weekend as its own personal “9/11,” in reference to the impact that the attacks have had on Israelis in terms of lives, property, and morale.

After the terrorist attacks that took place in the United States on September 11, 2001, China issued an emphatic condemnation of terrorism and offered supportive gestures to the government of the United States. This step assisted Beijing in improving its relations with Washington after years of friction between the two nations.

However, many experts believe that China will not be ready or able to take advantage of the current crisis in order to improve relations between China and Israel.

I don’t believe that they are making the most of the potential to strengthen their collaboration. Friedman stated that it seems their primary aim is in maintaining a neutral reputation.

This report contains contributions by Adrianna Zhang.