China's limits as a mediator are shown by Xi's response to the Hamas attack

 China's limits as a mediator are shown by Xi's response to the Hamas attack

China initially avoided designating an aggressor in its remarks on the Israel-Hamas war and did not make any explicit offers of quick help.

During the first half of this year, Chinese President Xi Jinping tried to play the role of world peacemaker by suggesting a cease-fire in Ukraine and assisting long-standing foes Saudi Arabia and Iran in reaching a diplomatic ceasefire.

However, Xi's government's response to the Israel-Hamas conflict is showing the limitations of his capacity to find long-term resolutions to some of the most difficult conflicts in the world. China's early statement on Sunday attempted to avoid identifying an aggressor and made no concrete offers of quick aid, similar to his approach on Russia's conflict in Ukraine.

China's Foreign Ministry renewed its desire for an independent Palestinian state after Hamas conducted a surprise invasion into Israel that resulted in hundreds of deaths while omitting any reference of the assaults on civilians. According to the two-paragraph statement, which did not specifically reference Hamas, "all parties" should exercise calm. Later on, the ministry said that it was a "friend to both" parties and that it was "saddened" by the losses.

Israel retaliated, claiming that China's unwillingness to denounce the violence because "terrorists are holding children" was regretful coming from a nation with good links to Israel. Yuval Waks, deputy head of Israel's mission in Beijing, made this statement.

Chuck Schumer, the majority leader of the US Senate, questioned Xi directly about Beijing's stance on Monday at a rare meeting, saying he was "disappointed" that the Asian country had "no sympathy" for the Israeli people. During a meeting with Schumer, Xi made the following public statement rather than responding to the criticisms: "We have numerous reasons to make US-China relations better, and no justification to make them worse."

According to Raffaello Pantucci, an influential fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of Global Studies in Singapore, Xi has been given a "awkward moment" by the Palestinian organization Hamas' assaults on Israel.

"Beijing has begun to paint itself as a a global player," he said. "You are expecting them to offer some ideas or thoughts concerning how to resolve this situation, and yet we are unable to truly observe them offering anything."

When he claimed responsibility for a detente between Iran and Saudi Arabia in March and provided the actual location in Beijing for the two parties to meet, Peace Player Xi entered the Middle East peace process for the first time. That agreement was reached soon after Xi visited with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and spoke with Ebrahim Raisi, the president of Iran.

Despite widespread doubts about the deal's viability and Beijing's role in brokering it, the pact's existence served as a warning to Washington that the Middle East had other diplomatic allies.

Following that victory, the Chinese leader welcomed Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, to Beijing in June, declaring his willingness to "play an active role" in mediating the issue. Following news that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was preparing to go to China for the first time in six years, expectations that Xi may play a role in the peace negotiations, which have been at a standstill since 2014, were raised.

As the Chinese leader came under criticism from the US for failing to denounce Russia's conflict and giving Moscow diplomatic and economic protection, Xi's involvement in the Middle East provided him legitimacy as a world leader. Ukraine and Western democracies have condemned China's 12-point plan for resolving the conflict for giving Russia geographical gains.

Wen-Ti Sung, a non-resident fellow at the Global China Hub of the Atlantic Council, claims that China's Middle East diplomatic initiatives helped to "offset pressure on its inaction on Ukraine-Russia."

Sung said that despite their limitations, Beijing's recent actions in the Middle East gave the Arab leaders some leverage against the United States. "But when the chips are down as well, the Middle East looks to Washington, not Beijing," he said.

The administration of President Joe Biden has already sent Israel's first installment of security money, and more will follow. Additionally, the US said on Monday that it wants to continue its effort to push for the normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel, which heightened tensions in the Middle East.

Juggling Ties

Given that Beijing's bilateral commerce with Israel reached $22.1 billion last year, according to estimates from the International Monetary Fund, China has good incentive to maintain a balance in its connections with both sides of the dispute. According to a June article by Tel Aviv University's Institute for National Security Studies, electrical components, including microchips, make up more than half of Israel's exports to China.

As the US implores its allies to place limitations on Beijing's access to cutting-edge technology, that commerce with Israel is essential. As escalating geopolitical tensions slowed down that process, Intel Corp. abandoned a $5.4 billion agreement in August to purchase Israel's Tower Semiconductor Ltd. after failing to get Chinese regulatory permission in time.

Xi has been embracing Middle Eastern countries more and more in an effort to challenge US restrictions. He oversaw the BRICS group's enlargement to include Saudi Arabia, Iran, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates in August. China has previously said Iran will join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, despite being subject to harsh US sanctions.

China's decision to refrain from designating Hamas, which is backed by Tehran, as the aggressor in its response to the violence over this past weekend sent a signal to "Iran and other authoritarian governments in the region that China recognizes their regional interests," according to Mercy Kuo, a risk management adviser at Pamir, a global security consultancy in the Washington, DC, area.

"China essentially seeks opportunity to project an image of peace builder but has no intention of tarnishing it with the complexity and vicissitudes of peacemaking in the Middle East," she said.

Next week, leaders from the Global South, including those from the Arab world, are expected in Beijing for Xi's centerpiece Belt and Road Forum. The Israel-Hamas war, which has affected oil prices and markets, is expected to influence discourse during the gathering, which will also include Vladimir Putin of Russia.

Considering China's neutral stance, such discussions could go a little more smoothly. But it can also just reflect the fact that Beijing is aware of its limited capacity to sway Israel.

William Figueroa, an associate professor of history and theory of international relations at the University of Groningen, stated that Iran and Saudi Arabia were two countries where both sides were prepared to go to China to accomplish a shared objective. "Israel has no interest and no incentive to invite Beijing to broker any kind of agreement."