China ties must not be marred by ‘politics’: Israeli diplomat Aviv Ezra

Israel and China should avoid letting political disagreement hijack cooperation, an Israeli senior diplomat has said, amid growing signs that the two strategic partners are moving to repair ties following the Gaza war rift.

“We do not let [ties] be hijacked by the political sphere and we continue our ongoing activities on the bilateral,” said Aviv Ezra, the Israeli foreign ministry’s deputy director general for Asia and the Pacific.

Ezra was in China last week for a working visit, the highest-level Israeli official to make such a trip since the Gaza war broke out in 2023.

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As the peace deal with Hamas moved forward, the level of risk Israel faced was decreasing, Ezra said in an exclusive interview with the South China Morning Post in Beijing as he wrapped up his visit.

This allowed an opportunity for Israel and China to pursue a relationship that “carried great significance” for both sides.

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Ezra said he was “very optimistic” about the future of bilateral ties.

“We complement each other in many various fields, one of which of course is the commercial cooperation, economy, innovation, technology, but also tourism, people to people.

South China Morning Post

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