By Independent News Roundup
One of Israel’s last strikes against Iran before its surprise ceasefire with the US, which Israel has thus far abided by in the sense of ceasing its attacks against the Islamic Republic even though it’s still contentiously waging war against Lebanon in violation of the reported terms, was against a rail bridge. Social media as well as Ukrainian media drew attention to how the targeted infrastructure is part of the China-Central Asia-West Asia Economic Corridor within China’s Belt & Road Initiative (BRI).
The innuendo is that Israel meant to target BRI, perhaps as part Under Secretary of War Elbridge Colby’s “Strategy of Denial”, which has so far seen the US seek control over China’s top oil suppliers (already Venezuela and possibly soon Iran and Angola). It therefore isn’t unreasonable to speculate that Israel intended to inflict strategic harm to China through this strike just like how its earlier attack against Iran’s Caspian Fleet was portrayed as harming Russia and India’s trans-Iranian North-South Transport Corridor.
For as compelling as this hypothesis may be to many on social media, especially anti-Zionist activists, it doesn’t account for why Israel still allows China’s state-owned Shanghai International Port Group to run the Port of Haifa, which is one of the Jewish State’s economic lifelines. This analysis here from March 2017 explained in general why China chose to partner with Israel, while this one here from a year and a half later in September 2018 specifically addressed its interests in the Port of Haifa.
Opinion about this deal within Israel is mixed, with some praising it as “delivering more benefits to Israelis” like the preceding hyperlinked opinion piece from last year argued, while this one here from around the same time warned that “Israel risks becoming a tool in China’s war against the West”. Nevertheless, the importance is that Israel and China still honor this deal, which proves that they envisage Israel playing a role in BRI. This think tank report here elaborates more on their shared vision.
The reality, which no doubt displeases many anti-Zionist activists, is that China’s political support of Palestine and Iran doesn’t take precedence over its economic interests in Israel. Despite its rhetoric in solidarity with those two, China will not “boycott, divest from, nor sanction” Israel like the BDS movement demands. To the contrary, Global Times reported in February that “Israeli imports from China reached a record high of $13.53 billion in 2024, a 19.8 percent increase from the $11.29 billion in 2023”.
Their article amplified the Chinese Embassy in Israel’s statement at the time “Clarif[ying] Untrue Media Reports Claiming ‘China prohibits investment in Israel’”. Far from shunning Israel over its wars against China’s partners, the People’s Republic is embracing it more than ever and fighting back against fake news about division between them over these conflicts, thus humiliating those who claimed otherwise. The Alt-Media Community would therefore do well to acknowledge this fact even if they disagree with it.
The takeaway is that Israel’s attack against that Iranian rail bridge wasn’t intended to harm BRI, rather, it was to harm Iran’s military logistics or simply inconvenience its people. China also doesn’t share some of its supporters’ anti-Zionist zeal and isn’t punishing Israel in any way. Quite the opposite, in fact, since trade has only grown since the Gaza War. This insight thus lends credence to reports that China pressed Iran to compromise with the US by agreeing to the two-week ceasefire and resuming negotiations.
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