He said economic cooperation between the two countries would remain a priority, but “the honeymoon period is definitely over.”
But, he added, “the end of marriage does not mean divorce.”
“Business is still open, but enthusiasm has been lost and Israel has become very sensitive recently. I’ve read reports of a slight rise in anti-Semitism on Chinese social media.”
“Our interlocutors assert that this has no basis in society as a whole, but in Israel, this mentality has a very negative impact, especially in times of war,” Orion said.
“So I think it’s going to take some work to improve, fix, rebuild and update.
“Israel and China will never fall into the same river again. This is this decade, not the last, and we need to work on improving relations in new circumstances.”
03:26
Humanitarian worker delivering food in Gaza killed in ‘accidental’ airstrike
Humanitarian worker delivering food in Gaza killed in ‘accidental’ airstrike
Relations between China and Israel have been strained since the Gaza war began in October, when Beijing failed to condemn Hamas and subsequently blamed Israel for creating a humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Israel has also been outraged by China’s response to Iranian missile and drone attacks in April, which expressed “deep concern” at the escalation of the conflict but stopped short of condemning Iran.
According to an INSS survey conducted in April, Israeli public attitudes toward China have deteriorated significantly, with 54 percent of Israelis considering China unfriendly or hostile toward the country.
Only 15% perceive China as a friend or ally of Israel, while the remaining 31% answered “I don’t know.”
This is in contrast to the previous year, when a 2019 Pew Research Center poll showed that 66% of Israelis have a favorable view of China.
Beijing’s clear pro-Palestinian stance, its ties with Iran and the growing conflict between China and Israel’s most important ally, the United States, are thought to be behind the deteriorating views.
Orion said both sides needed to address new challenges.
“Our partnership remains centered on economics, with innovation and technology at its heart, but China has developed a lot over the last decade and has a different range of needs,” he said, adding that many technological developments are considered sensitive and some are “clearly off-limits”.
“As national security becomes increasingly important in both China and Israel, I think we’re going to have to navigate a more complex environment.”
Israel was the first country in the Middle East to recognize Beijing after the founding of the People’s Republic of China, and it was selling advanced weapons to China even before the two countries established formal diplomatic relations in 1992.
Relations between the two countries have weathered two crises, in 2000 and 2006, when Israel halted sales of arms and military equipment to China, and have since developed into close economic ties.
With China seeking Israeli technological expertise and Israel wanting to tap the Chinese market, two-way trade has grown from just over $50 million in 1992 to a peak of $163 billion by 2022.
When China and Israel forged a partnership to promote cooperation in technology and innovation in 2017, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the relationship a “marriage made in heaven.”
04:23
Gen-Z vs Genocide: Hope for Humanity?
GEN-Z VS GENOCIDE: Hope for Humanity?
But in recent years, uncertainty has arisen.
In 2020, Israel set up an official committee to review foreign investment after the United States warned about potential security risks from Chinese investment and infrastructure.
In another worrying sign, trade between China and Israel recorded a steep 7.4% year-on-year decline in 2023, partly due to political turmoil in the country and the war in Gaza.
The China-Israel Joint Committee on Innovation and Cooperation, an intergovernmental mechanism involving 15 ministries and agencies, has not met since 2018, holding a virtual meeting in 2022 after a four-year hiatus.
Few Chinese officials have visited Israel since the war began, and the number of Chinese visitors to the country has fallen from a peak of 156,000 annually in 2019 to around 300 per month now.
A relative latecomer to Middle East affairs, Beijing has adopted a balanced, non-interventionist approach in its relations with its opponents in regional conflicts.
But Beijing has taken a tougher stance on Israel than its neighbors. In a 21-point statement issued after a meeting in Beijing on Friday, senior officials from China and the 22 Arab League member states condemned Israel’s “continuing aggression” against Palestine and called for more countries to formally recognize the Palestinian state.
Orion said Israel’s security concerns should be taken into account.
“A balanced view from China would be that they want stability and security while protecting the rights of Palestinians and the security of Israelis.”
He added that Beijing cannot play the role of a true mediator unless it takes clear positions on important and sensitive issues.
“This is not something you can suddenly intervene in without having in-depth knowledge of the issues and without putting yourself out there and impacting the players.
“Friendship and the ability to open channels is not enough. There is really hard work to be done here,” Orion said.
“I don’t think China has the knowledge to get into the nitty-gritty issues of Jerusalem, borders, refugees,” he said. “It’s fine to talk about peace in plenary sessions, but I don’t think China is there when real action needs to be taken.”
But China has a role to play, he added.
“nevertheless, [is] “There is clearly a need for reconstruction and infrastructure development as part of the peace effort, but China clearly has relevant capabilities that could be applied to promote stabilization through development,” he said.
“But this can only be done through good cooperation and coordination with the United States, which at the moment does not seem feasible.”
