【October 18, 2024, Epoch Times】The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) claimed that on October 16th, in a military operation, they killed Yahya Sinwar, the top leader of Hamas. A spokesperson from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that all factions in Palestine should strengthen unity. Analysts believe that China’s call for unity among factions is actually aimed at saving terrorist organizations, creating continued turmoil in the Middle East, targeting Israel and the United States, and manipulating ideologies domestically, ultimately leading to self-destruction.
The Israeli Defense Forces recently stated that during a ground operation in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah on October 16th, three armed individuals were killed. The IDF confirmed that one of the bodies was identified as Sinwar after examining dental records, fingerprints, and DNA.
Sinwar was considered the mastermind behind the cross-border raid into Israel on October 7th last year, which resulted in Israel’s biggest historical failure. Killing Sinwar marked Israel’s biggest victory since the start of the conflict in Gaza over the past year and dealt a heavy blow to Hamas.
However, while the Israeli government announced the killing of Sinwar, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning, during a press conference on the 18th, emphasized the importance of unity among all Palestinian factions, regardless of changing circumstances, expressing China’s willingness to continue efforts in this regard.
Back on July 23rd this year, China mediated a meeting in Beijing among representatives of 14 Palestinian factions, leading to the signing of the “Beijing Declaration” aiming to end division and strengthen national unity. Hamas at the time declared its intention to work towards “national unity” with the rival Fatah organization and other Palestinian groups.
Zheng Qinmo, associate professor of the Department of Diplomacy at Tamkang University in Taiwan, told Epoch Times that following the killing of Hamas leader Haniyeh in July, the recent killing of the new leader Sinwar has left Hamas in disarray without clear leadership.
Qinmo believes that Mao Ning’s press conference, portraying China as a peace advocate, is actually a strategic move to maintain chaos in the Middle East and divert American attention to that region by urging factions to avoid infighting and emphasize unity.
Senior North American commentator Tang Jingyuan stated that China’s advocacy for unity is essentially an attempt to rescue terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah and Hamas from being completely defeated, using peace and unity as a cover to save and eventually rebuild their strength, with the ultimate goal of becoming China’s proxies to counter the US and Israel.
Dr. Björn Alpermann, professor of Contemporary Chinese Studies at the University of Freiburg in Germany, emphasized in an interview with Deutsche Welle that China’s role as a mediator between Fatah and Hamas is a way for China to present itself as a friend of the Palestinians before the world, especially in the Arab and Muslim worlds, while also being interested in the resources of Gulf countries.
However, Qinmo pointed out that since Hamas took power in 2007, they nearly wiped out the politicians of Fatah, the largest faction in power at the time, through direct killings, making reconciliation difficult due to deep-seated resentment.
Since the outbreak of violence with Hamas, the Abbas government in Palestine has remained quiet, even openly criticizing Hamas’s actions. Xu Yuping, a Chinese resident in Israel for over 25 years and a freelance contributor to Voice of America, told Epoch Times that the Arab world has never been a unified group, but rather operates on a tribal basis.
She believes that China’s call for unity among “Palestinians” serves two purposes: to condemn the Abbas government for not aligning against Hamas and to incite terrorism against Israel, indirectly targeting the US through Israeli retaliation.
However, Xu Yuping argues that Mao Ning’s statement reveals China’s ignorance of the religious and political complexities in the Middle East. She mentioned that Palestinians consist of Muslims, Christians, Eastern Orthodox, Samaritans claiming descent from the ancient Kingdom of Judah among others, showcasing a diverse religious and ethnic landscape. Many Palestinians actually desire cooperation with Israel due to their admiration for Israel’s rule of law and economic development.
China has been strengthening its diplomatic influence in the Middle East, positioning itself as a peace mediator among conflicting parties, as reported by Deutsche Welle. Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s proposition of the “two-state solution” to establish Palestine as a fully sovereign and independent state reveals China’s clear support for Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah.
Regarding China’s Middle East policy, Tang Jingyuan believes that China aims to enhance its influence by supporting Iran and its allied groups, bolstering anti-US and anti-Israel forces, which align with China’s core strategy in the new global competition between China and the United States.
Reflecting on China’s double-dealing strategy, Xu Yuping criticized China for thinking it can manipulate extremism to control the Middle East situation, unaware that extremists are merely using them to target their more immediate enemies.
According to Voice of America, Israel has provided substantial assistance to China in sensitive military technology, dating back to the 1980s and even before the formal establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Israel.
Xu Yuping highlighted a disconnect in China’s stance on respecting national sovereignty abroad versus internally, citing retired Chinese state security officials who believe in anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, undermining China’s outward embrace of mutual respect and international cooperation.
She also pointed out a concerning trend in China where many people justify Hamas attacks on civilians as all Israelis being combatants, leading to disturbing mainstream acceptance of terrorism rationalizations within Chinese society, which she fears could backfire on the nation.
As per an expose by a user on the social platform, Chinese peacekeeping forces claimed to assist Hezbollah in guarding and defending their post but were forced to retreat following Israeli artillery fire, revealing China’s complicity in shielding Hezbollah’s attacks on Israel.
In light of these events, Zheng Qinmo warned that despite China attempting to maintain ties with extremist groups in the Middle East, their activities could incur the wrath of Israel. While the US tends to use diplomatic and economic measures for sanctions, Israel has a reputation for swift retaliation and will not hesitate to act against any threat to its existence posed by China’s future endeavors in the region.