On October 7th, Hamas, a Palestinian terrorist organization, initiated extensive attacks within Israeli territory, which included launching a barrage of thousands of missiles and sending military personnel into Israel with the intent of harming or abducting innocent Israelis. In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Israel was now in a “state of war.”
Both the United States and the European Union issued statements condemning Hamas’ terrorist actions and expressing their support for Israel. Several Asian nations also denounced the violence and expressed their concerns about the escalating conflict. China’s Foreign Ministry, on the other hand, reiterated its longstanding support for Palestinian statehood, while expressing “deep concern” and urging all parties to cease fire and exercise restraint.
China’s enduring commitment to the Palestinian cause is clearly evident in its decision not to condemn the violent attack by Hamas against Israeli civilians. In fact, China’s initial response to the attack was to release a statement emphasizing that the “fundamental solution to the conflict lies in implementing the two-state solution and establishing an independent State of Palestine.”
China’s support for Palestine carries significant weight, surpassing that of nations like Iran and Qatar. Israeli diplomats in China have called for a stronger condemnation of Hamas by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), presuming that China’s substantial engagement in advanced defense technology would influence its stance on Israel. However, this was a considerable miscalculation. It appears that there may have been a misconception regarding the CCP’s position. China’s geopolitical interests do not align with an openly free, strong, and prosperous Israel. If the broader objective behind Hamas’ attack was to disrupt progress in Israeli-Saudi normalization, China would stand to gain substantially as one of the major beneficiaries.
