Israel shuts Chengdu consulate as China deepens ties with Iran, Arab states

Israel has shut down its consulate in the Chinese city of Chengdu, signalling further strain in relations between Jerusalem and Beijing as China deepens its engagement with Iran and Arab countries and adopts a broader West Asia policy.

The Chengdu consulate ceased operations last month, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported on Friday.

The closure comes amid growing differences between Israel and China over Beijing’s position on the Gaza war and its expanding ties with countries across West Asia.

In a letter published on Wednesday, outgoing Israeli Consul General Gadi Harpaz reflected on his five-year tenure in Chengdu, describing it as “the most memorable of his diplomatic career”.

He said he was leaving the southwestern Chinese city “with a deep sense of sadness and nostalgia”.

“Although the consulate general is closing, the bridges of friendship, mutual respect and shared memories we built over the last five years will endure,” PTI quoted Harpaz as saying.

Israel still maintains diplomatic missions in Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hong Kong, along with its embassy in Beijing.

The country had announced late last year that it would shut one of its diplomatic missions in China, but did not disclose the reason at the time.

Israel-China ties under strain

Relations between the two countries have faced increasing pressure since Hamas militants attacked Israel in October 2023. Israel has been critical of China for not immediately condemning the attack, while Beijing has strongly backed the Palestinian cause during the Gaza conflict.

Public sentiment in Israel has also shifted against China. A poll conducted in April 2024 by the Tel Aviv-based Institute for National Security Studies found that more than half of Israelis surveyed considered China either hostile or unfriendly.

Despite the tensions, analysts believe Beijing is unlikely to sever its ties with Israel, given the importance it attaches to bilateral trade and technological cooperation.

At the same time, China has sought to strengthen relations with Arab countries and Iran as part of its efforts to expand its influence in West Asia and counter US influence in the region.

Zhu Yongbiao, a Middle East analyst and director of the Centre for Afghanistan Studies at Lanzhou University, described the Chengdu consulate closure as “a natural phase in the normal development of bilateral ties”.

Zhu cautioned against reading too much into the decision, saying it did not necessarily indicate a sharp deterioration in China-Israel relations. He told the Post that bilateral ties had already weathered several challenges in recent years.

“If Israel can realistically reassess both countries’ global standing and core interests… I believe there is still potential for relations between the two countries to recover and develop. China has no intention of maliciously damaging China-Israel relations,” he said.

With inputs from agencies