China declares Palestinians strategic partners
06/14/2023
China has established a "strategic partnership" with the Palestinian Authority. This was stated by Chinese President Xi Jinping following a meeting with the head of the PA, Mahmoud Abbas, who arrived in Beijing on a visit the day before.
"Today, we are announcing the establishment of a strategic partnership between China and Palestine, which will be a milestone in the history of bilateral relations," the government agency quoted the Chinese chairman as saying. The details of the partnership were not announced. The secretary-general also said that China is ready to strengthen cooperation with the Palestinian side in order to "ensure a comprehensive, fair and lasting solution to the Palestinian issue as soon as possible."
Xi Jinping's statement once again confirms China's desire to increase its influence in the Middle East, as opposed to US dominance in the region, writes The Times of Israel. China's interest is based mainly on energy resources - half of the crude oil it buys comes from the Arab countries of the region. Therefore, peace in the Middle East is important for China.
China has already delivered a diplomatic surprise when it persuaded long-time adversaries Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore diplomatic relations and reopen consulates and embassies within two months. Now, Xi Jinping appears to be trying to consolidate his success as a mediator in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. However, with the declared support of the Palestinians, Beijing is interested in establishing close ties with Israel, as it hopes to gain access to its high technologies, the newspaper notes.