Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas’s visit to China and his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping received extensive coverage in both Palestinian and Chinese media. The timing of the visit was deemed important in light of China’s growing influence in the Middle East and the circumstances surrounding the Palestinian issue.
Arriving in China during a period of Chinese success in the economic, scientific and technological sectors, Abbas had high expectations that China would mediate the stalled negotiations between the Palestinians and Israel. Additionally, he hoped China could facilitate reconciliation between the rival Hamas and Fatah factions, which have remained divided since 2007.
The P.A. saw Abbas’s meeting with the Chinese president as an opportunity to revive the Palestinian issue and place it back on the international agenda.
China has consistently supported the Palestinians in the United Nations, including through China’s status as a permanent member of the Security Council.
It consistently backs decisions favoring the Palestinians and maintains a firm stance in support of the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along the 1967 lines, with eastern Jerusalem as its capital. China also opposes Israel’s settlement policy in Judea and Samaria.
In the visit’s closing statement, the P.A. said issues regarding China’s policy toward Muslims in Xinjiang (the Uyghurs) have “nothing to do with human rights and are aimed at excising extremism and opposing terrorism and separatism. Palestine resolutely opposes using the Xinjiang problem as a way of interfering in China’s internal affairs.”
However, it appears that Abbas’s hopes for the visit were dashed.
The achievements of his visit were minimal, as reported by the P.A.’s official news agency WAFA on June 14.
Abbas signed an agreement with the Chinese to improve road infrastructure in Ramallah, discussed implementing Chinese language programs in Palestinian schools and negotiated visa exemptions for Palestinians with diplomatic passports.
Despite the media hype in the P.A. media and some Arab outlets, senior officials within the P.A. expressed disappointment with the outcome of Abbas’s visit.
China continues to support Israel as a Jewish state and invests in settlement projects in Judea and Samaria.
There are currently no indications that China intends to mediate between Israel and the Palestinians to revive the stalled negotiations. Likewise, China has not shown any intention to assist the Palestinians in achieving permanent member state status at the U.N. Presently, the Palestinian Authority holds only observer status.
A senior Palestinian official noted the significant disparity between China’s verbal promises and their practical willingness to take action.
Abbas returned to Ramallah empty-handed, as his expectations of China pressuring Israel were not met. China cannot suddenly become a mediator between Israel and the Palestinians. The United States remains the primary mediator since the signing of the Oslo Accords, and Israel is unwilling to accept Chinese mediation.
While China supports the convening of an international peace conference leading to direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, Israel opposes this idea, viewing it as a means of exerting international pressure on Israel and attempting to impose a solution desired by the Palestinians.
In summary, China defines itself as a neutral country. However, from the Palestinian perspective, its support for the normalization process between Israel and Arab countries, as well as its opposition to rocket attacks on Israel from the Gaza Strip, raises doubts about its neutrality.
The Palestinian opposition views Abbas’s visit as yet another failure in his policy, emphasizing the urgent need for him to step down from the political stage as soon as possible.
Originally published by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs.
