China Ana Israel: From

China ana Israel: From Not only is the title of this book rem aspects of the evolving relations history of this partnership, see Yoram iniscent of Agnon's story From Foe to between Israel and China. In their Evron's essay Economics, Science Friend (1941 ), its topic also seems to essay, Shichor and Merhav divide and Tecbnology in the Israel-China be similar: the attempts of the Jewish these relations into four stages: Relations. state to befriend a huge and power Drought (1949-1978), Tillage (1979 Economic aspects are just one of ful enemy. The struggle bears fruit 1984), Seedtime (1985-1991) and many areas covered by From Dis only towards the end of the story, as Harvest (1992.) cord to Concord. Other essays, such the permanence of the protagonist's In actual fact, the optimistic picture as 1991: A Decisive Year, written by presence is acknowledged. described in the book has been sur Zeev Sufott (who passed away in Relations between China and Israel passed by reality, with many econ 2014), describe the development have improved greatly over the last omists forecasting that China will of diplomatic relations between 67 two decades, to such an extent that soon outdo the US as Israel's larg the two countries. Sufott details even this recent and updated col est trading partner. Thus recent years the titanic efforts that took place lection of essays inevitably fails to are a fifth phase that might be called throughout 1991, culminating in the cover some cardinal events. "The Boom". establishment of relations between China and Israel: From Discord to Suffice to say that during the first Israel and both China and India .Concord was edited by two fellow half of last year, China invested during one momentous week in members of the SJI International more than $2 billion in Israel, com 1992. The two Asian giants together Advisory Board-Yitzhak Shichor and pared to just $300 million through comprise more than one third of the Jonathan Goldstein- who also con out the previous year. In parallel, in world's population and their rela tribute to this anthology with illumi March 2015, Israel became a found tions with Israel are currently excel nating articles on security oriented ing member of China's AllB (Asian .lent in both cases. issues. Infrastructure Investment Bank,) Previously, China and India had Other contributors include Israeli reflecting the role of the Jewish state both adopted an anti-Israel position diplomats who were pivotal in the as a major economic partner. Exam as part of their strategy to befriend knitting of the China-Israel bond. ples abound. The Horizons Ventures Muslim countries, the Third World Among them are lsai Magid (consul capital fund, founded by Hong Kong and the Non-Aligned. As described in Shanghai 1949-1951 ), Reuven magnate Li Ka-shing, is leading by Goldstein, Shai, Sufott and Merhav (consul in Hong Kong 1985 a US$10 million strategic invest others, the Conference of Bandung, 1988, subsequently director-general ment in Windward, an Israeli mari which took place in Indonesia in of the Foreign Ministry), Zev Sufott time data and analytics company. April 1955, was the first interna (first ambassador to China) and The Israeli Trade Authority signed tional expression of world discrimi Moshe Yegar (head of the Ministry's an Authorized Economic Operator nation against Israel - a forerunner Asia-Africa Department.) The rest of (AEO) agreement, which simplifies of today's BDS. these thirteen essays were penned customs and approval procedures In those days, China lumped Israel by scholars from Israel, the USA, for Chinese exporters to Israel. The and Taiwan together as the two China and India. Jonathan Gold privately-held Chinese conglomer Asian countries to be systematically stein, a historian at the University of ate Fosun International bought the boycotted. Although its rationale West Georgia, wrote both the intro majority of shares of Israel's Delek purported to be "anti-colonialism," duction and the epilogue. Group, and has agreed to purchase China was very selective in the type The book encompasses several the Ahava cosmetics firm. For the of "colonialism" it opposed, never criticizing intrusive actions in Kash set up in Shanghai to help the migra relations was paved in Hong Kong, mir, Tibet, East Timor or Afghani tion to Israel of several hundred which hosted meetings between stan. Indeed, as Sufott well explains, Jews, including personalities such as the two countries on science, agri China stood out as "the only non Sinologue Ellis Joffe (1942-2010). culture and security issues. Moshe Muslim and non-Arab country that Aharon Shai, a historian of South Yegar and P. R. Kumaraswamy. (a avoided all official contact with East Asia and former rector of Tel research fellow at the Harr)' S. Israel" since the 1950s. Aviv University, writes about a rela Truman Institute of the Hebrew Uni Lilian Craig Harris's article China tively marginal issue - the policy of versity) discuss the implications of and the Arab Middle East 1948 the Israel Communist Party towards China-Israel relations for South and 1996: Arab Viewpoints ably China during the second half of the South-east Asia. describes the Chinese position vis last century. Having interviewed a The anthology is focused more on a-vis the Arab world: Even though number of Israeli Communist lead history than on the future. Thus, an the People's Republic of China sided ers, including MeirVilner and David interesting topic not included is the with the Arab world against Israel "Sasha" Hanin, Shai describes how possibility that Israel will become a for forty years, the Arab regimes Israeli Communists distanced them bridge between the US and China, distrusted the PRC for its supply of selves from China in 1969 - indeed, equidistant as it is between them weapons to local revolutionaries in the chaos brought about by Mao's as it was between previous world Yemen, Sudan and Oman. Later on Leap Forward was despised even by empires -- Egypt and Babylonia, the the PRC sold weapons to both sides their mentors in the Kremlin. Less Greeks and the Persians, the Romans in the Iran-Iraq war (1980-1988), as convincing is the supposition that and Asia. part of a pragmatic foreign policy the rapprochement between Israeli From Discord to Concord was pub called "friendly to everyone." and Chinese Communist parties in lished in a previous version in Eng On this topic, of special interest is 1987 strengthened mutual under 1ish (1999); this Hebrew version the article by Anthony Alexander standing between the two nations, includes some new articles and Loh, which apologetically describes considering the anti-Zionist rhetoric updated versions of the others. the anti-hegemonic motif in Chinese that Israeli Communists voiced in Gustavo Perednik, an Israeli educa policy since the days of Confucius. Beijing. tor and author, has been a member (Loh is a Chinese scholar who com One remarkable point is that, during of the SJI International Advisory 68 pleted his PhD in Political Science Deng Xiao Ping's reforms, interest in Board for a decade. He has lectured at the Hebrew University of Jerusa Israel was prompted by Israel's suc on Sino-Judaic topics in several Chi lem.) cess in defeating Soviet weaponry. nese universities, as well as in. the Other articles deal with the net Reuven Merhav and Yitzhak Shichor US and Israel. His twentieth book, work of small organizations set up deal with the place of Hong Kong Chinese and Jews, will be released in China to assist Jews. Thus, Magid in China-Israel relations, noting in Spanish by the end of this year. describes how two institutions were that the path to the establishment of Points East July 2016 .

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