(Times of Israel) Dale Aluf - Until recently, Chinese investment in Israel's infrastructure and high technologies was viewed strictly through an economic lens. In 2015, Shanghai International Ports Group won a tender to operate the newly constructed container terminal at Haifa port for 25 years. Then in 2018, Americans started to ask questions about the potential implications of this move since Haifa is a port of call for the U.S. Sixth Fleet. Understanding China is important, especially if Israel wishes to continue the benefits it enjoys from the relationship while at the same time mitigating the potential risks associated with dealing with Beijing. Even the Philippines and Japan, both of which face tremendous strategic risks from China, do not take a hardline stance rejecting all Chinese involvement to preserve their sovereignty. Instead, they recognize that they can benefit from shared investment and resource exploitation agreements, while boundary delimitations are negotiated over a longer timeframe. They understand that China is a global force that cannot be ignored or ostracized without unacceptably high economic cost, and that engagement with China must walk a middle road that includes security concerns. The writer is director of research and strategy at SIGNAL, Sino-Israel Global Network & Academic Leadership.
2019-07-18 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive