Beijing’s Meddling in Middle East Affairs: Veto Power and Support for Palestinian Cause

Soldiers walk in front of an Israeli police station that was damaged during battles to dislodge Hamas militants who were stationed inside, on October 8, 2023. Israel's prime minister of October 8 warned of a "long and difficult" war, as fighting with Hamas left hundreds killed on both sides after a surprise attack on Israel by the Palestinian militant group. Jack Guez/AFP via Getty Images

The U.S.-designated terrorist group Hamas launched a full-scale attack on Israel on Oct. 7, resulting in over 900 deaths in Israel so far with thousands of injuries. This triggered strong condemnation from the international community. Meanwhile, the Islamic Republic of Iran has expressed support for Hamas, while China, Russia, and other regimes have stated that all sides should “exercise restraint”.

In the early morning hours of Oct. 7, Hamas fired thousands of rockets into Israel from the Gaza Strip, as its terrorists entered southern Israel by land, sea, and air to carry out attacks, massacring civilians in the streets and holding over 100 Israelis as hostages. This massive attack took place on the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War.

The Israeli cabinet officially declared war on Hamas on Oct. 8, setting the stage for possibly a ground operation in the Gaza Strip.

The Israelis have since said they have sealed the border with Gaza and have responded with air strikes on the Gaza Strip, which Palestinian authorities say have killed over 600 people.

Rockets are fired by from the Gaza strip into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Mohammed Salem/Reuters

On Oct. 8, a spokesman for the Chinese regime’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that he was “deeply concerned” about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and called on all parties concerned to “maintain calm and restraint.”

He emphasized that the only way out of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict lies in the “establishment of an independent Palestinian state.”

Back in June, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas visited China where Beijing and the Palestinian Authority (PA) established a strategic partnership to promote cooperation in various fields.

In a joint statement, Beijing and the PA said that China firmly supports Palestine’s “just cause of restoring the legal rights of the nation,” while the PA side said it is “grateful to China for the help it has provided to Palestine over a long period of time”.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping (R) and Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas attend a welcoming ceremony in Beijing on June 14, 2023. Jade Gao/Pool via Getty Images

In response to China’s statement, Ye Zhiqiu, a media professional living in New Zealand, told The Epoch Times on Oct. 8 that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was clearly in favor of the PA.

He said it is similar to how the CCP never condemned Russia for its aggression against Ukraine and claimed that all parties should “exercise restraint” while Ukraine was being invaded.

“The CCP is always playing this kind of trick. In front of the international community, the CCP has always supported the evil side, even terrorist organizations,” Mr. Ye said.

“The CCP also secretly supported them as they created chaos. The Taliban, for example, have openly visited China and were well-received. That’s what communism is all about—creating conflict and profiting from it.”

Beijing Repeatedly Votes Against UN Solutions

On Oct. 25, 1971, the U.N. General Assembly approved a proposal to replace the Republic of China (Taiwan) in the U.N. with communist China. As of October 2021, communist China has used its veto power 16 times at the U.N. Security Council, most of which were related to the Middle East wars and conflicts.

Russia and China consistently voted to support the Assad regime in Syria, which was severely criticized and condemned by the Arab League, the European Union, and the United States, as well as by most countries in the world.

The U.N. Security Council meets to discuss the Ukraine-Russia conflict at U.N. headquarters in New York on Oct. 21,2022. Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images

Zhang Yanting, former deputy commander of Taiwan’s Air Force and an adjunct professor of political science at Taiwan’s National Defense University, told The Epoch Times on Oct. 8 that the more chaotic the Middle East becomes, the heavier the role the CCP plays in the region.

In March, Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed to restore diplomatic relations and reopen their embassies in each other’s countries under the mediation of the Chinese regime.

“With Syria being extremely unstable, the CCP stepped in, inviting Syrian dictator Assad to attend the opening ceremony of the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China,” Mr. Zhang said.

He further explained that the CCP made three strategic moves in the Middle East recently.

“First, it brokered relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran; second, it took Syria into its own hands; and third, after the Hamas attack, the CCP’s influence in the region would be even greater. The position of the United States in the region would be weakened accordingly.”

A man holds a local newspaper reporting on the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, in the Iranian capital Tehran on March 11, 2023. Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images

Ye Zhiqiu also said that the CCP acts as the backstage for evil forces in the world and that the CCP wants to utilize such forces to keep the U.S. in check.

“There are a lot of things going on in the international arena that are dividing America’s attention. Wars and conflicts are breaking out in various regions. With peace, the U.S. will not be able to focus on countering the CCP,” he said.

“From another point of view, the CCP has always been trying to mess up the world for its own gains. It wants to rule the world, and when there are conflicts in various regions, it is very favorable to the regime. Many conflicts are intentionally instigated and created under CCP influence behind the scenes.”

Hamas has openly expressed gratitude to Iran for its support of the attack on Israel, and the Mullahs of Iran are some of the CCP’s strongest allies in the Middle East.

Xin Ning contributed to this report.