China's Silence: Examining Its Absence in Gaza and Middle East Crisis

China's absence from the current major crisis in the Middle East raises significant questions, especially as its main rival, the United States, remains actively involved.

China lingers in a deep slumber while the Israeli aggression against Gaza continues, accompanied by warnings from Iran and its allies about a potential regional war, and ongoing U.S. military buildup in support of Tel Aviv.

What is China's strategy in dealing with the Israeli aggression on Gaza and regional tensions? Why has it remained silent and failed to take a strong stance against “Israel”?

‘Passing the Buck’

Since the launch of Operation al-Aqsa Flood and the subsequent Israeli aggression in October 2023, China has adopted a strategy of shifting responsibility to the UN Security Council and avoiding a formal, clear stance.

China has repeatedly asserted that the Security Council is primarily responsible for implementing the two-state solution, ending the conflict, resuming negotiations, facilitating humanitarian aid, and halting settlement activity and war.

Despite the Council adopting a US-led resolution to end the aggression in January 2024, it failed to compel “Israel” to comply.

This has highlighted the ineffectiveness of the Security Council in resolving the issue and specifically the failure of China's approach.

Despite shifting responsibility to the UN Security Council, China has not proposed any measures to halt the aggression, unlike Russia, Brazil, Algeria, and other less influential countries.

China has also avoided taking any unilateral political or diplomatic actions to pressure “Israel,” limiting itself to general statements reaffirming support for international efforts to “end the conflict through a two-state solution.”

In light of its inability to influence the course of the war, particularly in stopping it, Beijing has sought to address a sensitive and impactful issue like Palestinian reconciliation to cover its weak influence in this crisis.

On July 23, 2024, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced an agreement among Palestinian factions to form a temporary national unity government, mediated by Beijing. This came after nearly two decades of disputes and failed agreements.

The Ministry stated that the factions agreed to end their division and form a temporary national unity government. The announcement was made after a reconciliation dialogue between 14 Palestinian factions hosted by Beijing from July 21 to 23.

However, this move was largely symbolic, as media criticism and disputes continue between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority, which seeks to remove Hamas from Gaza and regain control of the Strip.

The Palestinian Authority blames Hamas for "destroying Gaza," while Hamas criticizes the Authority's crackdown on resistance in the West Bank and its peaceful negotiating approach.

Thus, the reconciliation initiative, which China used to maintain a presence in the conflict after the Security Council failed to halt the aggression, has not produced any substantial results.

Weak Stance

In assessing China's current position amid escalating tensions, Chinese affairs researcher Razan Shawamreh notes that China "will likely continue this same strategy in the event of a regional war, simply shifting the responsibility to international institutions, primarily the UN Security Council."

She explained to Al-Estiklal that "China's calls during the war are no different from those of other countries, especially Western ones, supporting a two-state solution and ending the conflict."

Shawamreh further observed that China's stance is much weaker compared to countries that do not have the same global influence and power as Beijing.

For example, Russia has intensified its rhetoric against “Israel” since the beginning of the aggression, despite its ongoing war in Ukraine. Turkiye is playing political, diplomatic, and humanitarian roles to end the aggression. Even smaller, less powerful countries have been active.

"China has not, for instance, joined the countries prosecuting Israel at the International Court of Justice,” Shawamreh added.

It also "has not severed diplomatic ties or expelled its ambassador as Bolivia, Colombia, South Africa, Brazil, and Chile have done, nor has it recalled its ambassador as Honduras and Chad have."

China has also completely ignored the militarization of “Israel” by Washington during its war on Gaza in its statements and the document published in April 2024.

This China-published document reviewed the history of U.S. financial and military aid since the 1940s, which has led to humanitarian and international disasters undermining global security and stability.

Many hoped China would leverage its role as a friend to all in the Middle East to facilitate ending the aggression and any potential expansion of the conflict in the region, especially after its success in normalizing relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia in March 2023.

The China Observers website notes that the Iran-Saudi agreement raised expectations for greater diplomatic involvement from Beijing in the region. However, the response after October 7 shattered these expectations.

The website added that during the conflict, Beijing maintained a notably silent stance in stark contrast to the strong U.S. action and unwavering support for “Israel.”

“China has also agreed to work with Arab and Islamic countries to stop the escalation of violence in Gaza, however, this is yet to be translated into concrete actions on the part of Beijing,” according to the same source.

“Despite China’s repeated calls for a two-state solution and its efforts to engage with regional players, Beijing lacks a concrete mediation strategy and, as such, has been unsuccessful in turning its network of regional friendships into a resource for substantial negotiations.”

What’s the Reason?

Regarding the reasons, Shawamreh explains that “despite the Middle East’s importance to Beijing, as a rising power, its priority is its own geographic region, particularly Southeast Asia and issues related to Taiwan and the South China Sea.”

For instance, amid Israeli aggression on Gaza, elections were held in Taiwan, which China considers part of its territory, leading to political and military tension in the region, with escalating threats between Washington and Beijing.

Consequently, Chinese policy at the highest level focused heavily on the elections, while the Gaza conflict remained the responsibility of its UN Ambassador (Fu Cong), according to Shwamra.

“China’s inability to influence events is coupled with its reluctance to engage in genuine diplomacy to end the war, partly due to its interests with Israel.”

Over the past decade, China has developed significant cooperation with “Israel” in economic, technological, and military fields, especially following the 2010 release of its Twelfth five-year plan, coinciding with its rise to the world’s second-largest economy.

In recent years, China has attracted “Israel” to its strategic projects, such as the Belt and Road Initiative, which passes through Tel Aviv.

“Israel” is also crucial for China as a gateway to Western technology, particularly amidst increasing U.S. restrictions on this sector in relation to Beijing, according to strategic think tank articles by Walid Abdel-Hay in November 2019.

A second reason is Beijing’s reluctance to escalate tensions with Washington over issues not directly related to its vital interests.

Shawamreh notes that as a rising power, China is unwilling to expend resources on peripheral conflicts that are relatively distant from its main interests.

China Observers added another reason: “Beijing’s foreign policy playbook largely bases China’s interactions with other countries on the principle of non-interference and a profit-centric perspective.”

Thus, rather than directly aligning with any side in the current conflict, China prioritizes economic goals and long-term benefits.

Shawamreh argues that China benefits from the war as it drains its competitors, notably the U.S., militarily and economically, diminishing their reputation and soft power.

This reduces the relative power gap between China and Washington, enhancing its international ascent.

The conflict “clearly illustrates American dominance in the Middle East and the limited impact of China on various parties, including both Israel and the Palestinians, whether the Authority or Hamas,” the researcher concluded.