On 24 March, 2021, The Jerusalem Post, a local mainstream English newspaper in Israel, published the Embassy's response on relevant former US and Israel officials' hyping up of so-called "threat of Chinese investment to Israel". The full text is as follows:
The Chinese Embassy to Israel noticed that the Jerusalem Post published an article titled "Israel, US must confront China threat" on 17 March. Full of cold-war mentality and zero-sum game philosophy, this article made up fallacies of "China threat" and smeared about China-Israel pragmatic cooperation in an effort to drive a wedge between the two nations, to which we are resolutely opposed.
First of all, the fallacy of "Chinese penetration of Israel's economy" is ill-founded. China and Israel share similar cooperation ideas and draw strength from each other. Our cooperation delivered tangible benefits to both our peoples. Chinese companies brought cost-effective labors that are much needed by Israel's construction endeavour and provide a large number of job opportunities. Our innovative cooperation in technology fields opened the largest market in the world for Israel's most advanced products. In 2020, despite setbacks due to the coronavirus pandemic and striding forward against the global trend, our bilateral trade increased 18.8% to 17.54 billion USD, in which Israel's export to China increased 21.9% to 6.28 billion USD. The facts speak for themselves, China-Israel cooperation is win-win in nature.
Second, the fallacy of "Chinese Investment Threat" is ill-founded. The above-mentioned article harped the same string of defaming Haifa's new port contracted to Chinese companies and accusing Chinese companies of stealing Israel's technologies by investing or building infrastructures. It sensationalized the idea of China threat to Israel's national security, but failed to present any sound evidence. This lured the public the wonder if there was ulterior political motives behind its words. In fact, be it in the field of infrastructure construction or innovative investment, China-Israel cooperation is nothing else than normal business practice based on market supply-demand. Projects led by Chinese companies are advanced with open and transparent bidding procedure in Israel. They abide by Israeli laws and regulations strictly. Chinese investment contains no hidden geopolitical agenda, no attached political strings nor threat to Israel's national security. Such slanders scatters before facts.
Third, the fallacy of "China-Israel relationship undermined Israel-US relationship" is ill-founded. China pursues a multi-faceted diplomacy and is willing to develop friendship and cooperation with every country in the world. Based on mutual-respect, equity, and win-win spirit, China-Israel cooperation is bilaterally independent and voluntary, which is not targeted against a third party and should not suffer from a third party's influence. Israel is an independent sovereign nation,we welcome development of normal ties between Israel and any other country. But relevant countries should refrain from zero-sum philosophy and blatantly interfering with development of normal ties and economy and trade cooperation between China and Israel. We believe that Israel's cooperation with different parties can coexist while complementing with and drawing strength from each other.
There was indeed one point this article made correct, that is China's government and people had never been antisemitic. Though thousands of miles apart, the Chinese nation and the Jewish nation enjoyed a long history of friendly exchanges with long-lasting charms. Antisemitism never sprouted in China in the past few thousand years. As two ancient nations that both suffered a lot in their history, the Chinese and Jewish had all along showed respect and assistance to each other.
Rumors end with sage. Israel is an independent sovereign nation. China respects Israel's legitimate security concerns and intends not to harm its special relationship with other countries. At the same time, legitimate commercial cooperation based on mutual benefit and market economy principles between China and Israel as well as between their companies deserve full respect too. I believe that years of friendship and mutual trust between China and Israel is solid enough and the Jewish nation has the wisdom to make the correct decision. I also believe that our win-win cooperation should not and will not be hindered or sabotaged by any external elements.