China’s underhand aims with Middle Eastern diplomacy
Viewed from the West, it is easy to ascribe Chinese enthusiasm for the so-called “Beijing Declaration” between Hamas and Fatah as simple naiveté. Yet it would be a mistake to view Palestinian reconciliation as Beijing’s true aim.
There are clear motivations for Beijing’s sudden emphasis on the war in Gaza and on Palestinian politics. For one, China has long sought to position itself as the champion and leader of the so-called “Global South.”
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Vice Chairman of the Fatah Central Committee Mahmoud al-Aloul, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi and senior Hamas member Mousa Abu Marzouk
(Photo: Pedro Pardo / AFP)
How China’s security approach differs from the West
Key to understanding China’s true objectives in the Middle East is an appreciation of Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party’s concept of security. In Western strategic discourse, security is broadly defined as the absence of conflict.
Beijing’s view of security however more closely aligns with international relations securitization theory more popular in the Global South where any issue from migration to environmental issues are cast as existential threats to justify the extraordinary measures made to address them.
Beijing’s mediation with Middle Eastern terrorist organizations
Since 2013, China has assumed this approach in its more assertive role in conflict mediation beyond the Western world. This includes the Middle East, where it has undertaken mediation efforts in Afghanistan and Syria, between Saudi Arabia and Iran, between the Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas, and in Yemen, including with the Houthis. Over time, such growing influence could provide China with significant leverage in shaping broader regional policy agendas and navigating alliances.
China forges ties with the Taliban
In September 2023, it became the first country to appoint an ambassador to Kabul. Then in December, it became the first to host a Taliban ambassador. Such engagement was partly fueled by Beijing’s security considerations in the Xinjiang region, which borders Afghanistan.
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Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khameneni, Chinese President Xi Jinping
(Photo: Retuers, Alex Kent / GETTY IMAGES)
Yet in forging closer ties with the Taliban, Beijing has validated engagement with the terrorist group, particularly among non-Western nations, in ways that could reshape alliances worldwide.
China’s weak influence in Hamas talks
Despite China’s efforts to position itself as a regional mediator, its initial response to the Hamas attack on Israel was also subdued. Since then, a proactive approach by Beijing toward has been evident in the intra-Palestinian talks held between Fatah and Hamas, which Beijing pushed for and hosted in April.
These talks were somewhat of an uphill battle for China’s diplomacy given its little leverage inside Gaza, lukewarm ties with the Palestinian Authority and worsening relations with Israel. That said, Beijing learned to navigate difficult political environments as it did in Africa in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
It is likely to do the same more broadly in the Middle East, especially given the region’s strategic significance and its role in Beijing’s intended new world order.
China’s decades-long partnerships with Israel
Apart from the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, China had developed strong partnerships with Israel over decades that has expanded across various domains, from infrastructure to agriculture and education. Trade between Israel and China reached a record $21 billion in 2022, and Chinese firms have been engaged in about 500 investment deals in Israel over the past decade, predominantly in the technology sector.
Unchecked antisemitism in China rallying public opinion
However, a troubling motivation has also been apparent in Beijing’s actions since the October Hamas attack on Israel. Chinese officials have pivoted from a pro-Israel footing to indulging not just criticisms of Israeli government policy but now permitting the spread of antisemitism across Chinese media.
This appears to reflect not a newfound concern for Palestinian aspirations, but an effort by Beijing to use conflicts, whether in Ukraine or Gaza, to rally global public opinion, even at the cost of sacrificing relationships—like those with both Israel and Ukraine—that it has spent decades cultivating.
To conclude: China has long sought to position itself as the champion and leader of the so-called “Global South.” Yet Beijing insists on forging ties with known terrorist groups including the Taliban, Fatah and Hamas.
Jennifer TealeChina is now permitting the spread of antisemitism content across its media. The concern is that Beijing uses conflicts, to rally global public opinion even at the cost of sacrificing relationships—like those with both Israel and Ukraine—that it has spent decades cultivating.
Jennifer Teale is a researcher at the Israel Defense and Security Forum (IDSF).
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