Confucius taught more than two thousand years ago: “One’s words must be trustworthy, and one’s actions must be resolute.” In Chinese culture, integrity has long been viewed as a fundamental virtue, reflected in proverbs such as “a promise is worth a thousand pieces of gold.” This emphasis on keeping one’s word is central not only to personal conduct but also to how a nation earns respect on the global stage.
Yet critics say that the Chinese Communist Party’s diplomatic behavior has repeatedly fallen short of this principle. Its relationships with key partners have often appeared transactional and self-serving, leaving former allies feeling betrayed or abandoned once their usefulness expired. Israel’s experience offers a telling example of how goodwill and cooperation gave way to disillusionment.
Israel’s early support for China
In January 1950, just three months after the CCP seized power, Israel became the first Middle Eastern nation to recognize the newly founded “People’s Republic of China.” It was a significant diplomatic gesture at the height of the Cold War — one that signaled trust and a willingness to engage despite global tensions.
But China waited forty-two years before formally establishing diplomatic relations with Israel in 1992. To many observers, that long delay reflected Beijing’s cautious pragmatism — maintaining distance until the relationship could serve its strategic interests.
Decades of deep cooperation
Once ties were formalized, Israel opened its doors wide. Despite U.S. concerns, it shared advanced defense technology that accelerated China’s military modernization. Reports from the U.S. Congress noted transfers of drone systems, thermal imagers, and air-to-air missile components, including technology linked to Israel’s Python-3 missiles. Israeli assistance also contributed to China’s HQ-9 surface-to-air missile program, a system that became a cornerstone of China’s air-defense capability.
Civilian cooperation was equally significant. Israel’s pioneering drip irrigation technology helped transform water-scarce regions of China, such as Ningxia. Israeli innovation also played a role in establishing several major joint projects — the China-Israel Changzhou Innovation Park, the China-Israel Shanghai Innovation Park, and demonstration farms near Beijing and in Xinjiang — bringing Israeli expertise to agriculture and food production.
Infrastructure ventures deepened the relationship further. In 2007, Israeli company IDE Technologies completed China’s largest desalination project in Tianjin, supplying fresh water to the surrounding region. Later, in 2015, Chinese state-owned enterprises, including the Shanghai International Port Group, acquired long-term operating rights for strategic Israeli assets, including terminals at Haifa Bay Port and Ashdod Port. Economic cooperation appeared strong, built on mutual benefit.
The rift after October 7, 2023
That history of cooperation stood in sharp contrast to Beijing’s public stance following the Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023. While many nations condemned the massacre, the CCP declined to label Hamas a terrorist organization. As Israel launched its counter-operations, Chinese officials called for restraint and shifted attention toward hosting Arab and Islamic delegations.
Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s remark that Israel’s actions had “gone beyond the scope of self-defense” was widely viewed by Israelis as one-sided and dismissive of the human toll of the attacks. Analysts suggested that Beijing’s response prioritized geopolitical interests — particularly energy security, ties with the Arab world, and the Belt and Road Initiative — over its long-standing relationship with Israel.
A relationship defined by calculation
For many in Israel, China’s silence in the face of terrorism and its criticism during wartime marked a profound rupture of trust. It underscored a recurring pattern in Beijing’s diplomacy: alliances built on convenience rather than conviction.
Over the decades, China benefited immensely from Israel’s technological generosity — from advanced weapon systems to agricultural innovation and water management. Yet when political alignment proved inconvenient, the friendship quickly cooled. The episode revealed how China’s foreign policy remains guided less by shared values and more by shifting strategic calculus.
As Israel reassesses its partnerships in the wake of 2023, the broader lesson resonates beyond the Middle East. Nations that once saw Beijing as a promising partner are discovering that relationships grounded in utility, rather than integrity, seldom endure.
See Part 2 here
Translated by Chua BC
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