Daily Alert Archives

Israel-China Experts Downplay Impact of Haifa Port Decision

(Jerusalem Post) Eytan Halon - If Israel chooses to reverse its decision to permit a Chinese company to manage Haifa Port from 2021, the decision will not lead to an enduring crisis between the two governments, experts on China-Israel relations said. The Chinese management of the port was one of the issues that U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton discussed with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his visit here this week. The port is a frequent dock for the U.S. Sixth Fleet. Israel signed an agreement in 2015 with the Shanghai International Port Group (SIPG) to upgrade and manage the port. Sam Chester, vice president at Indigo Global, an investment advisory firm, with 15 years of experience in Israel-China affairs, said stripping SIPG of the deal would be frustrating for Beijing but not a deal-breaker for future trade. Chester said reversing the decision in light of American pressure would not result in the damage caused to Israel-China relations in 2000 after Israel scrapped a deal to supply China with the Phalcon radar system. "There, the Chinese president had put his own credibility on the line. Did the Chinese president put his own credibility on the line in the Haifa deal? No. Was the October visit of Chinese Vice-President Wang Qishan to Israel focused on the Haifa deal? No." Carice Witte, executive director of Sino-Israel Global Network & Academic Leadership (SIGNAL), said, "China...sees immense value in Israel's innovation ecosystem....The fact that amidst a trade war with the U.S., China sent the second most powerful person in the country, President Xi's right-hand man, to Israel sends a powerful message that Israel is important to China. I think the relationship is strong enough to withstand the breakdown of any individual deal."
2019-01-11 00:00:00
Full Article