"The Middle East is a strategic partner for our national rejuvenation, and it has the potential to become a strategic pillar for us in dealing with the great power competition" - China's ex-special envoy to the ME Wu Sike wants China to always think of the "big picture."
13/13 On February 5, 2024, the 4th Annual Forum of the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University (RDCY) was successfully held in Beijing, with the theme "Seizing All Opportunities, Being Proactive, Taking Charge, and Achieving Results". 2/

Following on from Fan's article cited below, a common misconception is that "China wants stability and security in the Middle East" just like the US and the West, and thus the two powers can and should cooperate.

Remember there is more than one way to skin a cat.
A thread🧵
1/15

https://twitter.com/GeringTuvia/status/1730547492201079013

During Israel's two-month war with a sadistic and cynical enemy that uses PA civilians as human shields and targets civilians in Israel, China has demonstrated once again that a few dead Israelis were never a hindrance to regional peace and stability.
2/

“The Israeli regime is both an outpost of a contemporary capitalist global empire and a time capsule of the 19th-century capitalist colonial empires" - Yin Zhiguang, a Fudan University IR professor, sees in Israeli Jews the new Nazis, for whom Palestinians are "disposable."
1/10

An excerpt from Yin's article, published on billionaire Eric Li's Guancha on Oct. 20:

“On October 13, the Israeli military ordered all 1.1 million Palestinians living north of the Gaza River (Wadi Gaza), including Gaza City, to leave within 24 hours.

2/

If Biden's speech was one of the most pro-Israeli made by a US leader, Wang Yi's speech below was its polar opposite. It felt like another twist of the knife in Israel's back, just like the dagger that struck an Israeli diplomat's spouse in Beijing on the very same day:
1/22

https://twitter.com/yaronsamid/status/1711830898339991590

Full translation:
"On Oct 13, Wang Yi, member of the CPC Central Committee's Politburo and FM, and Josep Borrell, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, spoke with journalists following the China-EU High-Level Strategic Dialogue.
2/

Before I fall asleep, a few thoughts on China's "neutral position": As an Israeli, let me start by saying that there is no such thing as a "neutral position" at this time.

1/8

https://twitter.com/GeringTuvia/status/1710991775261708554

So far, China's response at the UN through the MFA and Zhang Jun has been immoral in the face of unequivocal evidence of Palestinian terrorists' inhumane barbarity against Israelis in violation of all humanitarian and international law.

2/

https://x.com/GeringTuvia/status/1711187929538642231?s=20

2023.10.09 My full translation of statement by PRC UN Permanent Representative, Zhang Jun [my emphases]:
“On Oct 8, the United Nations Security Council held urgent consultations on the situation between Palestine and Israel.
1/10

https://twitter.com/Chinamission2un/status/1711180398531641565

"During the consultations, the Permanent Rep of China to the UN, Zhang Jun, elaborated on CN's position on the current Israeli-Palestinian situation and *called on all parties concerned to exercise restraint and avoid further escalation of the conflict.* [sounds familiar?]
2/

"Jews have monopolized the US economy, media & film industry...half of silicon valley is owned by them...many US universities are basically financed and controlled by Jews" - Xiang Songzuo, ex-chief econ at the Agricultural Bank of CN and People's Bank of China dep. director.
1/6 Currently, Xiang is head of the Shenzhen-based Greater Bay Area Financial Research Inst. and a prof. at Renmin U's School of Finance.
The preceding and following quotes are said with genuine admiration for Jews, not malice, demonstrating the fine line b/w philo/antisemitism.
2/

“Israel is a close partner of the US, so it's been pressured by US officials to curb its relation with China,” I told @connor_mycroft with the @SCMPNews, adding that despite US pressure...IL is still trying to maintain cordial relations with Beijing.
1/6
scmp.com/news/china/dip… “There’s a general – even growing – view among us political scientists who focus on the Middle East that [the two state solution] is becoming more remote,” @guyjsburton said.
2/

"Central Asians have the genes of Islamic and Turkic cultures in their blood. Their values and lifestyles differ completely from China’s" - Lu Gang thinks young Asian's "lack collective immunity to the gentle onslaught of Western culture"
Via @thomasdggeddes' Sinification.
1/10 Professor Lu is the director of East China Normal University’s Centre for Central Asian Studies.

Excerpted from Sinification - sinification.com/p/chinas-lack-….

Lu: "What's more, young people in Central Asia seem to be more open to the Western way of life than their fathers’ generation.

“I don’t see our relationship with the U.S., with China as being mutually exclusive,” Saudi Minister of Investment Khalid Al-Falih told @CNBCMiddleEast. “This is, in a way, a multipolar global order that has emerged — it’s not emerging. China is a significant player in it.”

1/5

https://twitter.com/china_arabia/status/1669040678993551373

More from CNBC:
Al-Falih shrugged off the idea that its growing ties to China were a threat to the U.S. “Saudi Arabia is going to be a partner to all of the major economies globally. And China certainly is a prominent one in that field,” he said.
2/

***For the first time, Xi stated that "China is willing to play an active part" in intra-Palestinian reconciliation.***

Translation and further notes below, based on the official Chinese readout, June 14, 2023 (my translation):

1/10 "Xi emphasized that the Palestinian issue has been put off for more than half a century, causing the Palestinian people great suffering and that justice must be provided to Palestine as soon as possible. Xi Jinping has put forward three propositions 主张:

2/

Nothing about the Palestinian President's visit to Beijing in the Chinese Foreign Minister's regular press conference today or yesterday (they're probably waiting for the visit to end). However, there was something notable today about Israel and Iran:

1/4 TASS: "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel would not see itself bound by any agreement Washington might reach with Iran over its nuclear program. What comment does the Chinese foreign ministry have on this?"
2/4

Readout of Xi-Abbas meeting via Xinhua News Agency (full translation.
Note 1 the section I highlighted below
Note 2 the full readout has been published too and I'll get to it later adelaide.china-consulate.gov.cn/zgxw_2/202306/…):
🧵
1/ Xinhua: Xi invited President Abbas to visit China again.

Xi said, "At the end of last year, we attended the first China-Arab Countries Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and reached a number of important agreements.
2/

[Forgot to share but the timing is good:] On June 5, 2023, Zeng Jixin 曾继新, the new Director of the Chinese Office in Palestine [the de-facto ambassador], submitted a letter of credence to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Translated from the China Office's website:
1/6 "Zeng conveyed President Xi Jinping's warm greetings and best wishes to President Abbas, saying that China-PA relations have advanced significantly under the strategic leadership of the two leaders.
2/

Some context:
Chinese diplomacy categorizes its relations with most countries into three levels. From top to bottom, they are ranging from Comprehensive Strategic Partnership>Strategic Partnership>regular partnership.
1/5

https://twitter.com/GeringTuvia/status/1668912102805848066

There are also relationships that are specifically designated to fit the partner, such as China's with Israel (Comprehensive Innovative Partnership), Switzerland (*Strategic* Innovative Prtnrship), or Russia (Comprehensive Strategic Partnership of Coordination for the New Era)
2/

China and Palestine are "friends closer than brothers...Western countries, led by the US, have destabilized the region" - In an interview w/ Xinhua, Abbas Zaki, Fatah Central Committee member and commissioner for ties w/ Arab state & China, plays music to Beijing's ears.
1/7 [Useful to note that China's monetary assistance to Palestinians through UNRWA was $2 million between 2021 and 2022, compared to $682 million in funding from the US during the same period. 
Sources:
2021: unrwa.org/sites/default/…
2022: unrwa.org/sites/default/…]
1.5/

What are Palestinian officials and commentators saying about Mahmoud Abbas' three-day trip to China, which begins tomorrow [Tuesday]?
1/🧵 Translated excerpts from @DanaBenShimon2's report for @IsraelHayomHeb:
"Abbas is a new-old friend of the Chinese people, and he will be the first Arab leader to be hosted in China this year, demonstrating the two sides' warm relations," said a spox for the CN Foreign Ministry.
2/

"Saudi Investment Minister Khalid Al-Falih said the Kingdom can serve as China’s gateway to the Arab world" - The first day of the Arab-China Business Conference in Riyadh saw the signing of agreements worth more than $10 billion.
Link: arabnews.com/node/2319731/b…
1/8

https://twitter.com/china_arabia/status/1668156124304924673

According to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), 30 agreements and deals in a variety of sectors were signed, including technology, renewables, agriculture, real estate, mining, supply chains, tourism, and healthcare.
2/

"China must ensure that ChatGPT is not used as a tool for ideological propaganda by state and non-state actors" - Professor Yu Li (pictured) and Wei Tingting of Zhengzhou University discuss how tech like ChatGPT may influence the global governance of secure data ecosystems.
1/16 Yu is the deputy dean of Zhengzhou's School of Politics and Public Admin, and their paper was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) as part of a project on the development of a "Sovereign System for Safeguarding Big Data".

“The most important element in the Sino-US competition is the human factor, that is, the competition for talent” - The next 5-10 years will be pivotal in determining the outcome of the Sino-American rivalry. Tsinghua U Prof. Chen Qi explains how China can prevail
Excerpts:
1/🧵 "This period will determine the basic outcome of the intense competition or game that is currently taking place. Over this time, using both offense and defense, China and the US will compete and struggle in a variety of areas.
2/

"India...can play a central role in advancing the Abraham Accords and connecting Israel’s economy to moderate states in the Middle East" - Israeli FM Eli Cohen met with India's PM Narendra Modi to discuss new opportunities for cooperation.
1/4
jpost.com/israel-news/po… Jpost: The foreign minister said that he and Modi also discussed advancing a free trade agreement between their countries. Trade between Israel and India was $10 billion in 2022.
2/