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."
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.
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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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
