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What Does the Palestinians' Pivot to China Mean for the U.S. and Israel?
| Opinion
ASHER FREDMAN , ANALYST
ON 6/27/23 AT 3:39 PM EDT

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Palestinians Protest Biden's Bethlehem Visit Amid Unclear Path To Peace

The cold reception of U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken in China
this month contrasted sharply with the warm embrace received by
Palestinian Authority (PA) leader Mahmoud Abbas only a few days earlier.
Indeed, both Abbas, whose government is gradually losing control over
swaths of the West Bank to terrorist groups, and Chinese President Xi
Jinping, who is looking to bolster China's global standing and
influence, had good reason to emphasize the deepening cooperation
between China and the PA.

Yet while the growing closeness between China and the Palestinians may
serve Xi and Abbas' interests, it creates new challenges for both Israel
and the Biden administration, which in June became once again the
largest funder of the Palestinian cause, via UNRWA.

On the eve of Abbas' arrival, the Chinese Foreign Ministry highlighted
the fact that Abbas was the first Arab leader invited to Beijing this
year. On arrival, he was welcomed with full military honors. Xi and
Abbas then announced a new China-PA "Strategic Partnership." Abbas
declared his desire to play an active role in China's Belt and Road
Initiative (BRI), join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and
receive investment insurance and soft loans from China. A twinning
agreement was signed between Wuhan and Ramallah, as was an agreement on
teaching Chinese in Palestinian schools. The Palestinian Investment Fund
announced plans for Chinese investments in infrastructure,
manufacturing, and energy projects.

Abbas went further, expressing his full support for China's stance on
Taiwan, and parroted Chinese propaganda on the mass detention of Muslims
in Xinjiang, declaring, according to reports, that the detentions, "have
nothing to do with human rights, and are aimed at excising extremism and
opposing terrorism and separatism."

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A Growing Alliance
Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas shakes hands with China’s President
Xi Jinping after a signing ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in
Beijing on June 14.
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China's embrace of the Palestinians is related primarily to the Chinese
Communist Party's desire to "further increase China's international
standing and influence [and] enable China to play a greater role in
global governance." Few arenas attract as much attention on the world
stage as Middle East peace-making. Fresh off of China's success in
brokering a Saudi-Iran détente in March, China now desires to show
itself a central player in the holy grail of international
deal-making—the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In addition, as China
deepens its strategic and economic ties across the Arab world, it sees
expanding support for the Palestinians as beneficial from a public
opinion standpoint.

Abbas is presiding over an Authority that is gradually losing control
over significant parts of its territory to terrorist groups. This has
resulted in an increase in terror attacks launched from these areas,
leading to a downward spiral in the PA from both a security and economic
perspective. The small Palestinian elite that has benefited financially
from its connections to the PA is concerned for its economic future. At
the same time, the Palestinian leadership has expressed frustration over
what it sees as insufficient pressure being placed by the Biden
administration on Israel.

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For Abbas, strengthening economic and political ties with China is a way
to attract funding and investment, while potentially creating financial
opportunities for the Palestinian elite. Strengthening diplomatic ties
with China can also help bolster Abbas' battered image as a statesman,
while catering to anti-American sentiment on the Palestinian street.
Lastly, Chinese support in the international arena is critical to the
Palestinians' continued attempts to delegitimize Israel in international
institutions.

As noted, the announcement of the PA's strategic partnership with China
came very soon after the Biden administration decided to provide $153.7
million dollars to the Palestinians via UNRWA. It is important to
remember that UNRWA is seen by the Palestinians as the symbol and
custodian of their goal of 'returning' and retaking the territory that
is today the State of Israel. Therefore, President Biden's decision to
resume funding was seen as particularly important. Nevertheless, Abbas
appears to have decided to steer the PA in the direction of the U.S.'
main competitor.

The growing PA-China partnership may create significant challenges for
both the U.S. and Israel. Increased Chinese presence and investment in
key infrastructure projects may pose a security threat to both Israel
and to American personnel and assets in the region. In light of China's
goal of dominating global trade routes via the BRI, investment in the
PA, located along a potential overland route linking East to West via
the Middle East, may help advance China's aims. Israeli and American
security agencies will need to carefully monitor these developments.

At the same time, the United States should carefully examine its
continued funding to the PA or supporting entities. As the PA continues
to draw closer to Beijing, the U.S. must ensure that its actions do not
serve to strengthen China in this strategic and sensitive region.

Asher Fredman is a senior fellow at the Misgav Institute for National
Security and Zionist Strategy. He formally held senior roles in Israel's
Strategic Affairs Ministry.

The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.

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Conversation 21 Comments
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USDeclines2023
17 hours ago
It means it's about time a superpower comes to the rescue. Now that
China has surpassed the US in most areas, they are in the capacity to
help Palestinians get back on their feet.

Seven decades has been a long wait. The long, unspeakable suffering they
have endured is remarkable. This is about human...

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John Prudden
17 hours ago

Pals finally woke up to the fact that US has NOT been an honest broker
in Israel/Palestine negotiations - EVER. US has been an enabler for the
Jewish state of the first water, in economic, military, and poltical
cover. Pals are joining other Arab nations in their dealings with
China. Go figure.

A...

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Rohan
12 hours ago

Oh wow! Palestine finally has a future with China by its side. When
China befriends Palestine so will Russia and when both do so will India

P Span
12 hours ago

Why should any American support the palestinians?

They support Iran, they support Russia and China.

The Palestinians are anti west.

P Span
30 minutes ago

Ever the hand out begging, you are already worth around 500 million
dollars.

Not bad for a leader of people who are "suffering".

chrisford1
4 hours ago

NO surprise, China exploits USA obsessions with non-essential global
commitments and our history of lies to other countries. While we were
bogged down in the two money-grubbing Neocon wars of Afghanistan and
Iraq then stuck in a vast Ukie Proxy War (losing money and weapons
readiness to ultimately ...

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Your Other Left
16 hours ago

If the Palestinians talk to China then Israel talks to China. America
does not want that. Rememer when President Obama nixxed a $5B arms deal
between Israel and China? America does not want Israel to sell weapons
to China.