How China’s challenge to Trump’s Gaza plan could boost Beijing’s Mideast influence

Name: Israel, Hamas reach Gaza ceasefire deal for withdrawal of Israeli forces, hostage release
Uploaded: 2025-02-25T09:32:11.000Z
Duration: 5 min 26 s
Description: Israel, Hamas reach Gaza ceasefire deal for withdrawal of Israeli forces, hostage release

Beijing’s bid to balance Arab and Israeli engagement while opposing a US post-war plan could make China a more influential regional player, experts say

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Beijing is likely to remain vocal on Gaza, reiterating its support for Palestinian rights and Gaza’s status as an inalienable part of Palestinian territory, but it will defer to Arab states, rather than taking a leading role, experts say. Photo: Xinhua

Zhao Ziwen

Published: 5:32pm, 25 Feb 2025Updated: 5:57pm, 25 Feb 2025

China will try to stay aligned with Arab countries while improving ties with Israel as it challenges a US proposal to resettle Palestinians from Gaza, a balancing act that could position China as a more influential player, experts have said.

China has been vocal against US President Donald Trump’s post-war plan for Gaza, which includes the removal of its Palestinian residents.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told the UN Security Council last week that Gaza was not a political “bargaining chip”, and repeated China’s commitment to a two-state solution.

China supports a two-state formula based on a United Nations resolution adopted in 1967 that the West Bank and Gaza should be governed by Palestinians.

As part of its support for the Palestinians, Beijing plans to send 60,000 food parcels to Gaza, with the first 12,000 already shipped. Meanwhile, Washington has announced a complete halt to its foreign aid, a move blocked temporarily by a US court order.

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Israel, Hamas reach Gaza ceasefire deal for withdrawal of Israeli forces, hostage release

John Calabrese, director of the Middle East-Asia project at the US-based Middle East Institute think tank, said China had made its position clear despite Trump’s strong influence in the region.